Innovation World Championship: Patents That Improve Lives

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) recently concluded its decade-long innovation championship, recognizing patents with practical market impact. While the world watches the FIFA World Cup, this competition highlights innovations that improve wellbeing across multiple sectors, agriculture, creative industries, environment, health, and information technology.

This year’s winners include INFIRA of Argentina, which reactivated a gene in plants allowing for perennial crops and potentially reducing the need for annual planting cycles. DABIDA, a South Korean startup, developed a smart pen using artificial intelligence to identify student errors in real time.

Brazil’s Jade ND created a game-based tool to detect attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (TDAH) in children. China led the competition with innovations in electric vehicle battery recycling, cardiovascular diagnostics, and lung regeneration. Notably, Mexico did not have any winning entries, raising questions about the country’s commitment to fostering patentable innovation.