How can you quickly develop a patent that promotes innovation and competitiveness?

Registration is open until June 25 for those who wish to participate in this MOOC (massive open online course) – The CAF Method for Accelerated Patent Development–, in which civil servants, entrepreneurs, college students, and anyone with a general interest can learn the practical skills needed to write the specifications for a patent, including drawings and manipulating databases such as Google Patents and the United States Office of Patents and Trademarks in order to carry out novelty searches and master a strategy of efficient patenting that will optimize time and resources, while contributing to competitiveness and productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean.

This course was developed by experts from CAF -development bank of Latin America- according to the CAF Method for Accelerated Patent Development, which has been taught during many classroom workshops in Paraguay, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Peru and Mexico. The CAF Method seeks to demystify the creative process for developing patentable technologies. It covers issues ranging from public policies and strategies for developing patentable technologies to quick conceptualization methods, novelty searches, and writing patent specifications, including charts and drawings.

An example of this initiative’s impact is the Panama Technological University, which became the first Ibero-American university to rank among the top 50 universities in the world for Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications, with 51 concepts presented via international PCT in 2016. After just two of this program’s workshops in 2016, Panama increased its patent applications via the PCT by 300% compared to 2015, making it the Latin American country that generates the most PCT applications per million inhabitants.

The course is divided intofour theoretical/practical modules that provide the tools needed to conceptualize ideas with commercial potential, evaluate patentability criteria, and express the concept in a document that can be used as an application to the patent offices. The modules are: Why patent?; Patentable technologies: efficient conceptualization; Verifying a concept’s novelty; and How to develop technological patents.

The course approach is very practical and dynamic, combining educational texts, recommendations, examples, videos, case studies, exercises, recommended reading and evaluations. The course can be completed in only 24 hours of study, allowing participants to follow it in parallel with work duties.

At the end of the course and after having completed 75% of each mandatory activity, students will receive a certificate of participation free of charge. If students wish to receive a completion certificate, they must complete 100% of each mandatory activity and pay 40 euros.

General course information can be found in our announcements section, where participants can also register.