WIPO Action Plan: Unlocking Intangible Asset Finance

Most businesses need capital in order to be able to scale and grow. When seeking finance, a few companies tap into one of their most valuable assets, their intellectual property (IP). Intangible asset finance could narrow the financial gap that stands in the way of companies’ success and the prosperity of our economies. In other words, strategic use of these intangible assets could become a game changer for intangible intensive firms.

The leaders of the IP, business and finance communities have recently met in the High-level Conversation on “Unlocking Intangible Asset Finance” to discuss how intangible assets, including IP, can unlock financing to grow businesses. Director General of World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Mr. Daren Tag has indicated in his keynote opening, that the estimated value of intangibles, like patents, trademarks, brands, designs, copyright, trade secrets, and data, is over 74 trillion USD – more than the world's five largest economies combined.

During the conversation, WIPO’s new action-oriented approach to intangible asset finance was explained by Mr. Marco Alemán, Assistant Director General of the IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector. He described the three elements of the Action Plan: 1) Raise the profile of intangible asset finance 2) Reveal what is happening on the ground 3) Equip participants in the finance and valuation ecosystems.

You can access WIPO’s work on intangible asset finance, as well as watch the webcast of the High-level Conversation. Moreover, it is possible to share your inputs with WIPO on the potential and challenges of intangible asset finance.