Panama aspires to become one of the countries with the largest number of technological patents in the world

CAF, Development Bank of Latin America, and the National Secretariat for Science, Technology, and Innovation (SENACYT, for its acronym in Spanish), closed the first edition of the patentable technological innovation and generation of international patent applications program which, during six days, gathered 104 participants including university students, teachers, researchers, and professionals in private sector companies. The event resulted in 136 patentable concepts, 32 more than the estimates made at the beginning of the workshop. 

These results came form the application of the so-called "CAF Method for the Accelerated Development of Technological Patents", whose main objective is to increase, through intensive workshops for the development of patents, the capacity to generate more national patent applications in Panama, through the DICERPI, and international patent applications through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) for its subsequent marketing. 

These educational sessions train participants in the search for prior art to see if an idea is patentable, to develop and strengthen the institutional and entrepreneurial capacity in the accelerated conceptualization of innovative technologies, and the writing of patent applications aimed at international markets. 

The 136 patentable concepts will start the national and international registration process with the objective of helping Panama become a country that exports high technology and that may receive regular incomes from the royalties. With this purpose, SENACYT, through the Direction of Entrepreneurial Innovation, will allocate B/.800.000.00 to finance the complete process of these patentable concepts during the coming months. 

Alvaro Atilano, Coordinator of CAF's Regional Patents Initiative Program explained, "To conceptualize it, it is only necessary to dream. To put an idea in paper takes minutes, search for prior art (see if the idea is new) takes hours, and the conceptualization process may take but a day. It is necessary to de-mystify the subject of patents and create new markets that enable Panama to commercialize its inventions globally and generate significant incomes for the national economy".

Dr. Jorge A. Motta, National Secretary of SENACYT, commented, "This first edition of the joint CAF - SENACYT patentable technological innovation program has broken the myth that we are limited in our capacity to generate innovative ideas. As a country we can do it, and have ideas with a potential for marketing. These patent applications are the real "Papers of Panama" and we should be proud. SENACYT has allocated funds to finance the registration of the patent applications generated during this workshop. I would like to thank CAF and especially Engineer Atilano for the impulse he has given to patentable technological innovation programs in Panama". 

Susana Pinilla, CAF's Director Representative in Panama stated, "The results of this first event are very encouraging, as our most optimistic estimates were exceeded by 32 patentable concepts. Due to our characteristics, Panama must aspire to become, within the next two years, in one of the countries with the greatest number of technological patents per million inhabitants.  Today, these 136 patentable concepts, together with the 82 generated between February and May of 2016 in workshops developed by CAF jointly with the Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, could place Panama, in the short term, in first place in Ibero-America with respect to the generation of technological patents.