The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) is pleased to announce that Ms Sharmaine Wu, Director of Patents, Designs and Plant Varieties Department (PDPV), has been named as World Intellectual Property Review (WIPR)’s Influential Women in IP 2020.
Ms. Wu led recent efforts in launching the SG Patent Fast Track, a pilot programme to accelerate grants of patent applications in all technology fields to as fast as six months. The programme is the world’s fastest application-to-grant process of its kind, supporting innovators and their solutions in addressing global developments in areas such as sustainable development and public health.
Prior to her role as Director of PDPV, she served as Director of Intellectual Property (IP) Management and Markets at IPOS, where she set up a new department within IPOS to lead the development of IP monetisation. In this role, she helped to launch programmes including an IP-centric private equity fund, an IP financing scheme offering companies and small-and-medium enterprises with IP asset-backed loans, as well as an IP insurance partnership with Lloyd’s Asia, to provide companies with capacity to manage and mitigate risks, as they commercialise their IP and intangible assets and enter global markets.
Ms. Wu is one of the 80 international female leaders across 45 countries within WIPR’s Influential Women in IP 2020 and is the only Singaporean to be named on the list. The Influential Women in IP listing which began in 2019 by WIPR, a leading legal publication, recognises women who have built some of their most successful careers in IP and serves to raise the understanding of gender equality and women’s contributions to the sector. To access the publication, please click here.
About IPOS
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) is a government agency under the Ministry of Law. Our mission is to use our intellectual property (IP) expertise and networks to drive Singapore’s future growth, and build Singapore into a hub where innovative enterprises use IP and intangible assets to grow. More information on IPOS can be found at www.ipos.gov.sg.
