An international invention fair aimed at increasing China's weight in the global invention industry is due to be held in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, from Nov 19 to 22.
The 2014 International Exhibition of Inventions is expected to attract participants from more than 30 countries and regions as well as international organizations including the Asian and Pacific Center for Transfer of Technology.
Participants will display more than 3,000 technological projects in the 20,000-square-meter exhibition area.
"We hope to make it a global gala for inventors from most participating countries," Lu Dahan, secretary-general of the China Association of Inventions, one of the organizers, said at a press conference in Beijing last Thursday.
The upcoming event, co-hosted by CAI and the International Federation of Inventors' Associations, will feature "maker space" where more than 100 creators from China and abroad will share their ideas and achievements. A delegation from the United States will exchange insights on the maker culture with their Chinese peers.
A special zone for TRIZ is expected to add clout to the fair. TRIZ is a term to describe a problem-solving, analysis and forecasting tool derived from the study of patterns of invention in global patent literature.
Chinese and overseas companies and individuals will showcase their latest achievements resulting from using TRIZ methods in the special zone.
Lu called for more attention to be paid to the inventive approach.
He cited a company in Laiwu, Shandong province, as an example. He said it filed hundreds of patent applications a year, a sharp contrast with less than 10 patents before it received TRIZ training.
"We will trace the development of those inspired by TRIZ philosophy after the event and select successful experience to share with the audience for the next time," he said.
Unlike other international invention fairs, where the majority of inventions on display are from individuals and small-size businesses, the Kunshan event promises a wider coverage, ranging from State-owned enterprises to small companies and individuals, Lu said.
He added that inventions from the army would also be displayed.
Inventions by individuals tend to solve problems in daily life, while technological innovations developed by large companies matter to a nation's economy, he said. "After all, the role of inventions is to serve the real economy in the end."
A patent auction, a proprietary intellectual property market, forums on youth innovation and national IP strategy and a TRIZ training program will also take place during the event.
"Our goal is to build up an internationally well-known brand for an invention fair, where people can share their expertise and trade in patented technologies," Lu said.
In addition, IFIA will host a conference concurrently to select its new chairman. CAI has named a candidate to run for the position.
The international fair started in 1988 and was held every four years in different cities before 2012. Organizers decided on Kunshan as the permanent venue for the event due to its location between business hub Shanghai and popular tourist destination Suzhou.
The move was to help "focus more attention to improve the event's professionalism", Lu said.
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(China Daily 08/06/2014 page17)
