Assahafa.com
The “Swiss PartnershIP Morocco” intellectual property cooperation project between Morocco and Switzerland was officially launched on Friday in Casablanca.
With a budget of MAD 17.2 million, the four-year project aims to strengthen the legal and institutional framework of intellectual property in Morocco, improve the services for protecting intellectual and industrial property rights, and promote their effective use among Moroccan creators and entrepreneurs.
Funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and implemented by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI), in partnership with the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC) and other sector stakeholders, “Swiss PartnershIP Morocco” seeks to support Moroccan innovators in protecting and enhancing the value of their intangible assets in both national and international markets.
Speaking on this occasion, the Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, emphasized that the project’s benefits will extend to cities of various sizes, including medium-sized ones, to better raise awareness of the advantages of commercial protection.
The collaboration between Morocco and Switzerland, he continued, is based on an approach focused on efficiency and precise targeting of projects, noting that the signing of this agreement is tangible proof of this commitment.
For his part, Swiss Ambassador to Morocco Valentin Zellweger reaffirmed his country’s commitment to reinforcing Moroccan institutional capacities in this area. The Swiss government has recently designated Morocco as a priority country for its economic cooperation, he stated.
Zellweger emphasized that intellectual property protection will play a key role in this dynamic, particularly in the agricultural sector through Protected Designations of Origin (PDO), as well as in the field of patents.
The “Swiss PartnershIP Morocco” project is built around four strategic pillars: “enhancing the legal framework for intellectual and industrial property,” “optimizing protection services and the use of related rights,” “raising awareness and promoting these rights among various stakeholders,” and “strengthening their enforcement to ensure better protection and valorization of innovation.”
Source: map
