The 7th IP & Innovation Researchers of Asia (IPIRA) Conference was held in Tokyo, Japan, on April 4-6. The event was organized by the IPIRA network in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The conference was attended by Elizaveta Pletneva, Analyst of the BRICS Competition Centre.
The conference was held at Waseda University (Tokyo, Japan) and paid special attention to the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and its prospects for shaping the global innovation landscape.
This year’s discussions placed strong emphasis on the transformative potential of AI, as well as the regulatory challenges it presents in an increasingly interconnected world. In his opening remarks, Hasan Kleib, Deputy Director General of WIPO, highlighted the growing innovation capacity of Asia and the Global South, calling them the "new powerhouses" of global development.
Johanna Hill, Deputy Director General of WTO, reinforced the need for international collaboration in navigating this new era of technological change:
"Innovation doesn't flourish in isolation. It thrives in a connected world, one where we have ideas, people, and products moving across borders and in which collaboration is crucial,"
she said.
The conference featured numerous discussions on AI and collaborative activities, with several examples highlighting how fragmented or overly rigid regulation in some jurisdictions has forced companies to abandon specific markets. These cases underlined the growing need for harmonized and informed approaches to AI governance.
A notable panel addressed the use of AI by regulatory authorities themselves, including its role in analyzing market behavior and overseeing compliance—especially critical in the context of global value chains. Speaking at this session, Elizaveta Pletneva of the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre emphasized:
"The use of AI by regulators is becoming essential in managing the complexity of global value chains. However, it is crucial to strike the right balance between harnessing the capabilities of AI and maintaining effective oversight."
Participants echoed the importance of not only regulating AI applications but also ensuring that AI systems themselves are developed under ethical and transparent conditions. Some scholars raised concerns about the lack of accountability mechanisms during AI development stages, stressing that even developers often fail to manage AI tools properly.
One of the key conclusions of the conference was the urgent need for shared insights and regulatory cooperation across countries. As AI technologies transcend borders, global frameworks are required to ensure their responsible use, especially in sectors deeply intertwined with competition policy, innovation, and trade.
The IPIRA Conference brings together researchers focused on intellectual property (IP) and innovation-related topics in Asia and from an international and comparative perspective to present their works in-progress to fellow academics, senior scholars, and policymakers for feedback and dialogue. The Conference provides participants with a unique networking and learning opportunity, fostering collaboration in the region and beyond.
