"Global Women Scientists to Learn Intellectual Property Leadership in Korea"

[Financial News] World-class women scientists will gather in Korea to learn strategies for turning research achievements into intellectual property (IP) and connecting them to entrepreneurship and technology transfer.
The Ministry of Intellectual Property announced that it will host the 2026 Korea-WIPO-UNESCO Women Scientists' Intellectual Property (IP) Leadership Program from the 14th to the 18th in Seoul and at the International Intellectual Property Training Institute in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon.
The program has been operated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) since 2018, with the goal of expanding the pool of talent and strengthening leadership in the women’s scientific community. Its main participants are recipients of the L'Oréal Korea-UNESCO for Women in Science Award, which is recognized for its prestige and has produced seven female Nobel laureates out of 25 since the award was established in 1998. The Ministry of Intellectual Property has participated as a co-organizing institution since 2024.
This year’s event will bring together 20 outstanding women scientists from Korea and abroad, including international recipients of the L'Oréal Korea-UNESCO for Women in Science Award in the life and environmental sciences: Dr. Raquel Chan, an agricultural biotechnology specialist; Professor Felice Zaka, a nutritional psychiatry specialist; and Professor Liesl Zühlke, a pediatric cardiologist.
The program was designed to strengthen the IP capabilities needed to effectively protect and utilize research achievements. Its main components include strategies for managing and utilizing IP at research institutions, securing IP rights for research outcomes and assessing their value, and practical training in pitching and IP licensing negotiations. Reflecting participants’ feedback from last year, basic theory lectures have been moved to online pre-course training, while the in-person program has been reorganized around hands-on exercises and small-group mentoring. Korean patent attorneys will serve as mentors and provide practical advice tailored to each participant’s research field and the IP environment of their home country.
During the program, participants will visit the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), where they will tour the Technology Commercialization Center and Bio Venture Center and observe firsthand how IP-based technology transfer and entrepreneurship are carried out. They will then hold a Research and Intellectual Property Forum with Korean researchers at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), creating a platform for global exchange through presentations of research achievements and discussions on strategies for creating value from IP.
Song Seong-heon, director of the International Intellectual Property Training Institute under the Ministry of Intellectual Property, said, "I hope this program will help women scientists around the world strategically utilize intellectual property from the early stages of research and turn outstanding research achievements into tangible value." He added, "We will continue to work closely with international organizations such as WIPO and UNESCO to actively support the strengthening of women scientists’ intellectual property capabilities and the expansion of their global leadership."
Meanwhile, studies by WIPO and other organizations show that the share of female researchers among global patent applicants has risen steadily in recent years. However, it remains at around 20% of the total, indicating that gender imbalance in research continues.
[email protected] Kim Won-jun Reporter