The 15th China International Patent Fair (CIPF), themed "Patents Bridge Innovation, Commercialization Unlocks Value," is being held in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, from Nov. 6 to 8, alongside the 2026 ID5 Annual Meeting. This year's fair brings together a more diverse mix of international participants, with a range of exchanges and more active cross-border technology matchmaking, highlighting its openness, inclusiveness and commitment to mutually beneficial cooperation. From high-level dialogues and lively discussions at exhibition booths to in-depth conversations on service platforms, participants from around the world are coming together across borders. With intellectual property (IP) as a bridge, the fair is helping connect global innovation resources and foster international partnerships. Join us as we take you inside CIPF 2026 and experience its international appeal!
[High-Level Dialogue]
2026 ID5 Annual Meeting Held in Wuxi, China
The 2026 ID5 Annual Meeting, hosted by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), took place in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, from Nov. 5 to 6. CNIPA Deputy Commissioner Rui Wenbiao attended the opening ceremony of the ID5 Annual User Session and delivered remarks.
During the closed-door meeting, the ID5 Offices reviewed progress on ongoing cooperation projects and agreed to conclude the Informative User Guide for Digital Designs project jointly led by CNIPA and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The meeting also adopted the 2026 ID5 Joint Statement and approved two new project proposals. All parties agreed to continue their constructive cooperation.
At the user session, participants held in-depth discussions under the theme "Strengthen International Cooperation to Empower Design Innovation in Emerging Sectors." The ID5 Offices briefed industry representatives on their latest policies and the outcomes of ID5 cooperation projects, while gathering industry feedback on the need for industrial design protection in emerging sectors. The discussions laid a solid foundation for further cooperation and stronger global protection of industrial designs in these sectors.
(Qian Qifei)
[Global Voices]
To gain international insights into this year's CIPF theme, we spoke with representatives of two international IP organizations attending the events: the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) and the Association of Trade Mark and Design Law Practitioners (APRAM) of France.
Q: This year's CIPF provides a global platform for showcasing, exchanging and commercializing patented technologies. Against the backdrop of rapid advances in emerging technologies, what are the key challenges to building a more dynamic market for innovations? How can international IP cooperation help facilitate cross-border technology commercialization?
AIPPI: AIPPI has long focused on IP commercialization through its Standing Committee on the "Commercialization of Data and IP." However, despite private and public initiatives, the IP community has not yet succeeded in developing a truly dynamic market for innovations and patents.
At least two reasons may explain this situation. First, companies generally incorporate inventions into their own products rather than identify potential licensees. Second, technology markets face structural information asymmetry: patent holders know their inventions' strengths, weaknesses, implementation challenges and costs while potential assignees or licensees have access to much less information. Obtaining expert advice to assess a patent can be costly, discouraging transactions.
While AI cannot overcome the first obstacle, it could help make the technology market more dynamic by making information about innovations more readily accessible, less costly to obtain and easier to process. Drawing on online sources such as patent databases, academic journals and business publications, AI systems can rapidly assess innovations and patents at relatively low cost. Their outputs must, of course, always be checked, reviewed and critically assessed by experts before they can be considered reliable.
Another issue concerns the role of IP law in facilitating cross-border commercialization. This has been at the heart of AIPPI's work since the adoption of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property in 1883. The more harmonised IP rules are, the easier it becomes to facilitate exchanges, particularly those involving patents.
The IP system can play an important role in fostering cooperation between innovators from different countries, notably through patent databases. Freely accessible patent databases are the world's largest source of scientific information, accounting for one third of all scientific publications disclosed worldwide each year. Their technical descriptions of products and technologies enable users to conduct technology landscaping and identify promising technologies, competitors and potential partners around the world.
Q: This year's CIPF highlights the importance of bringing innovations to market. What role can international IP service providers play in facilitating cross-border patent transfers, licensing and commercialization? How can companies develop comprehensive IP strategies to enhance their competitiveness and maximize the value of their innovations in the European market?
APRAM: APRAM's members come from three professional families: in-house lawyers, trademark and design attorneys, and IP lawyers. Maximizing the value of innovations produced by AI, digital and green technologies can rely on the full range of tools available at the European level, such as EU registered trademarks, EU designs and European patents, within an international IP strategy.
When an innovation genuinely meets the conditions for protection, a multiple-rights approach is well worth considering. But fundamentally, an IP strategy is not a mere collection of IP rights, which would not be effective in the long run. The central questions to consider are: Which market does the innovation aim to address? Which part of the offer really creates value? How and when? This requires bringing together innovation, marketing, design, digital and business teams, as well as IP specialists, to build the architecture of IP rights around a business model and a project. That is how IP moves from being primarily a tool to becoming a driver of value creation.
APRAM does not usually deal with patent matters, so our comments will remain general. In cross-border transactions, the role of IP practitioners goes beyond formal prosecution: they act as the strategic bridge transforming R&D into market assets by securing the IP titles. The best service an IP service provider can offer relies as much on the ability to master the techniques for negotiating and drafting agreements as it does on understanding how various forms of protection interlink.
Our advice to an innovative company looking to enter the European market is to work with advisors who are well-versed in the legislation and operational landscape of the target market to convert IP rights into assets.
Coordinator: Wu Yan
Writers/Translators: Xue Peiwen/Tian Yihui