The Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) is working with the Office of Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion to host a training programme on intellectual property and branding for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Auramon Supthaweethum, director-general of the DIP, said intellectual property plays an important role in distinguishing products and services in the marketplace, encompassing aspects such as branding, packaging and innovation.
This uniqueness enables products and services to better meet market and consumer demand, while enhancing credibility and expanding business opportunities, she said.
The department and its partner launched the campaign to strengthen Thai SMEs, enhance their competitiveness, and leverage IP to add value to their products.
The project offers training sessions to 300 SME operators nationwide between June and August this year at six locations: the Bangkok metropolitan area, Ratchaburi, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, Songkhla and Khon Kaen. The programme begins in Ratchaburi and Bangkok in June.
The sessions offer knowledge in IP, marketing and brand building, with one-on-one consultations on logo and brand development to improve participants' chances of successfully registering their trademarks.
Each participant receives support for IP registration fees of up to 3,000 baht.
Mrs Auramon said the initiative is intended to reduce costs for business operators and broaden access to IP protection.
The DIP also offers a fast-track service for trademark registration, enabling SMEs with urgent needs to receive examination results within three months of filing.
As part of the project, the department is organising a fair on Sept 4-6 at Central Westgate for entrepreneurs to showcase their products and services.
The event also facilitates business matching between SME operators and buyers from various sectors, including modern trade operators, department stores, and wholesale and retail businesses.
The department plans to deploy artificial intelligence to help screen applications, aiming to reduce staff workload and shorten patent registration processing times, said Mrs Auramon.
The budget for the initiative is pending approval.
