The IP & Innovation Researchers of Asia (IPIRA) Network hosted the Eighth IP & Innovation Researchers of Asia (IPIRA) Conference on 29-30 January 2026 at Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) in Singapore.
The Eighth IPIRA Conference was organized in cooperation with Singapore University of Social Sciences and the hosts of the previous editions of the Conference: the Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws, International Islamic University Malaysia; the Division of Business Law, Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University; Foreign Trade University; the Faculty of Law, Universitas Indonesia; the Faculty of Law, Waseda University; Texas A&M University School of Law; and the Faculty of Law, University of Geneva.
The Conference was also supported by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), and high-level officials from each of these institutions delivered keynote addresses at the Conference. Notably, Daren Tang, WIPO’s Director General, highlighted WIPO’s work to promote innovation and the role of academics in fostering robust debates and evidence-based discussions in the IP field. Johanna Hill, WTO’s Deputy Director General, emphasized the relationship between global trade, IP, and innovation, and highlighted Singapore as a global standard in this respect. Tan Kong Hwee, IPOS’s Chief Executive, illustrated to the audience Singapore’s current IP strategy and the strong links between IP and development for Singapore, ASEAN, and Asia in general. In addition, the Conference was graced by high-level remarks by Edwin Tong SC, the Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs of Singapore.
Over the two days of the Conference, more than 300 presenters and attendees gathered to discuss recent IP and Innovation developments. The Conference featured 40 parallel sessions spanning eight sessions, each featuring seven thematic tracks. Presenters addressed key issues, including the impact of artificial intelligence on IP frameworks and sustainability, IP commercialization, patent and trade secret protection, and international trade agreements.
The Full Program of the Conference is available here
For the List of Speakers and their biographies, see here