UAE launches new roadmap for 'Green Intellectual Property'

Staff Reporter, Gulf Today

The Ministry of Economy launched a new roadmap for ‘Green Intellectual Property (IP),’designed to foster innovation, accelerate technology localisation, and develop new projects in new economy, environmental sustainability, and circular economy. The three-month roadmap will strengthen the competitiveness of the UAE’s IP landscape and contribute to its progress and prosperity, supporting the country’s directives to transition to a circular economy.

In this regard, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the UAE Circular Economy Council, said: “Thanks to the forward-looking vision of its wise leadership, the UAE has succeeded in adopting qualitative initiatives and projects for the intellectual property sector, positioning it as one of the key pillars for building a strong and sustainable national economy. Building further on this progress, today we are witnessing a new milestone in the development of this key sector. The ‘Green IP’ roadmap is a new step in our efforts to raise awareness on the importance of adopting green technology and innovation to provide superior services and products that serve the community, as well as enhancing the UAE’s attractiveness to green and sustainable innovations.

These efforts help consolidate the country’s position among the most innovative countries globally, in line with the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision.” He added: “The new roadmap for Green IP is particularly important as it coincides with the launch of this year’s Innovation Month. We will collaborate with local environmental stakeholders in the country and the World Intellectual Property organisation (WIPO) to implement all the objectives of this roadmap, providing more enablers and opportunities to motivate inventors and creators to develop sustainable innovations and projects in critical economic areas and sectors.” The Ministry of Economy organised a media briefing at its Dubai headquarters to shed light on the objectives of the new roadmap for Green IP, and its vital role in supporting national efforts to promote innovations in the UAE’s sustainable economy sectors.

Abdulla Ahmed Al Saleh, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy, highlighted that sustainability and environmental conservation have always remained an integral aspect of the UAE’s cultural fabric throughout its history. The nation’s progress has been built upon the principles and foundations of sustainability, which have also reinforced its regional and global leadership in embracing eco-friendly initiatives and solutions. Moreover, sustainability plays a pivotal role in the UAE’s strategies and visions to drive economic growth.

He stated that the Ministry of Economy remains committed to supporting national projects aimed at promoting sustainability across various economic sectors, in line with the UAE’s vision to build a sustainable and well-balanced economy that protects natural resources for future generations.

In his speech at the session, he said: “The new roadmap for Green IP aims to promote the adoption of leading digital solutions and advanced technology by individuals, organizations, and companies to produce sustainable products and services that contribute to environmental conservation. Following this roadmap, we are keen to forge new partnerships with the academia and research centres to integrate IP into sustainable innovations and protect the rights of eco-friendly projects and innovations.”

The Undersecretary continued: “This roadmap plays a vital role in fostering innovation and creativity in sustainable sectors, bolstering the UAE’s competitiveness and elevating its standing in key global indicators, particularly in the Global Innovation Index (GII), where the UAE consistently maintains its regional and international prominence year after year.” “This new roadmap supports the country’s efforts to enhance the UAE’s IP landscape in accordance with international standards. It aims to offer the utmost legal protection for innovations, while also meeting the growing demand for eco-friendly innovations locally and globally. In alignment with the Ministry’s strategic objectives, the roadmap contributes to fostering leadership and competitiveness in innovation and IP rights in the UAE,” he added.

Furthermore, he highlighted the new roadmap’s key objectives that the Ministry seeks to accomplish, including the introduction of a programme that will accelerate the registration of patents related to sustainable technologies and eco-friendly innovations. The aim is to raise the percentage of patent registrations for sustainable and environmental innovations to eight per cent of the total number of patent registrations in the country. Furthermore, it will strengthen the legal frameworks for protecting patents related to environmental sustainability, particularly given the continued growth in the number of patent applications submitted in the country, which reached approximately 3,622 in 2024.