Successful virtual workshop on plant variety licensing for public institutions and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

On December 12, 2023, international leaders and experts from public institutions together with small and medium-sized enterprises gathered for the online event ‘Virtual Workshop on Plant Variety Licensing’, organised in collaboration with the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) and the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO).

The workshop was opened by Miguel Rapela, academic director of the Master's Program in Intellectual Property and New Technologies at the Universidad Austral of Argentina, who spoke about the importance of licensing protected plant varieties in the agricultural and research sectors.

A team of experts from the Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (INIA) of Uruguay, including José Silva, Carlos Rossi and Florencia Marenges, discussed capacity building in the region for public institutes developing new plant varieties.

Regarding the legal aspects of licensing contracts, Antonio Villarroel, Director General of the Spanish National Association of Plant Breeders (ANOVE), provided valuable insight in this area. This key section focused on the establishment of Variety Protection Offices (VPOs). The essential legal aspects of plant variety licensing contracts were also analysed, with a special emphasis on ensuring equitable agreements.

The event also showcased success stories in plant variety protection and licensing, highlighting the work of Embrapa Rice and Beans in Brazil and Pantanoso del Sauce in Uruguay.

The main objective was to broaden knowledge on the commercialisation of protected plant varieties, benefiting those concerned in Latin American countries. This workshop represented a continuation of the event held in 2022, which generated great interest in the field of plant varieties, evidenced by the high attendance and outstanding results in the satisfaction surveys.

From AL-INVEST Verde DPI, we would like to express our gratitude to all participants, speakers and collaborators for contributing to the success of this event.

We reiterate our commitment to driving innovation and sustainable development in Latin America.

You can watch the online workshop on our YouTube channel.