Singapore's intellectual property sector adds more than 300 new jobs in 2013

SINGAPORE - The close of 2013 witnessed steady progress in the growth of the intellectual property (IP) sector in Singapore, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (Ipos) said in a statement today.

Last year, more than 300 new high-value added jobs were created in the IP Sector. These were mainly from four key areas - the legal industry, the technology industry, the IP service providers and the business advisory service sector.

The legal industry saw 68 lawyers recruited to practice IP, and the technology industry upped its IP managers by around 100.

As a result of more R&D offices being established or relocated to Singapore, the IP service providers saw more than 80 new patent and trademark agents coming into the market, and the business advisory service sector with 54 more business consultants practicing IP.

A key driver behind this trend of high value job creation lies in the increase in demand for IP services. More high-technology companies especially in the area of Chemistry and Bio-technology are coming to Singapore, Ipos said.

Total trademark applications have risen about 15 per cent in the last two years, while patent applications by locals have gone up about 6 per cent.

In 2013, the United Kingdom's IP Office (UKIPO) and the French National de la Propriété Intellectuelle (INPI) located their regional IP Office/attaché in Singapore.

Singapore is in a good and unique position for regional and international IP and business transactions due to its skilled manpower resources and the country's trade relations between the East and West, Ipos noted.

"We are enthused by the improved condition and good jobs created in the IP Industry in Singapore," said Mr Tan Yih San, Chief Executive of IPOS.

"This is a strong indicator of various efforts undertaken to shore up the IP industry as we move towards a knowledge-based economy."