Photo caption: Signatories of MoU on behalf of Licensing Executives Society International (LESI) and IPOS Group: Ms Sonja London, President of LESI (left), with Mr Tan Kong Hwee, Chairperson of IPOS International and Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore. (right)

Singapore, 28 April 2025 – The Licensing Executives Society International (LESI), the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), and IPOS International have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen global collaboration in intangible assets (IA) and intellectual property (IP) licensing and commercialisation.

This partnership reflects a shared commitment bridging the gap between innovation and market adoption—a move that can unlock billions in economic value.

The MoU outlines three key areas of collaboration to accelerate IA and IP commercialisation globally:

• Initiatives and Platforms
  Enterprises will gain access to a range of established programmes including IP Start, GoBusiness IP Grow, and a suite of licensing and IP-centric training courses. This offers a seamless pathway from IP strategy development to the execution of international licensing. Beyond these, new initiatives will be co-developed to give businesses practical, consistent support in turning their IA and IP into real commercial value.
• Practical Guides and Tools
  The collaboration will harness and cross-promote existing expert resources, such as LESI's les Nouvelles journal, IPOS's Intangibles Disclosure Framework, and IPOS International’s Tech Insights through Patents (TIP) tools. The partners will co-create new guides and tools to help businesses tackle complex licensing and market deployment challenges of their IA/IP.
• Immersive Learning Journeys
  To deepen understanding of what successful IP commercialisation looks like in practice, the partners curate study trips to leading innovation-driven organisations. These immersive learning experiences will give professionals direct exposure to real-world licensing strategies, operating models and innovation frameworks from different markets.

The partnership will roll out in phases over the next three years, with clear milestones to track impact. Success will be measured by stronger participation in training programmes, broader international reach, and easier access to commercialisation resources for businesses at every stage of growth.

"As we look ahead, global collaboration will be key to keeping pace with smart city innovation," said Tan Kong Hwee, Chief Executive of IPOS and Chairman of IPOS International. "Through partnerships like this between the IPOS Group and LESI, we can share success across borders and ensure that technology serves humanity."

About LESI

The Licensing Executives Society International (LESI), founded in 1973, has evolved from a small group of licensing professionals into a global organisation comprising 33 national and regional member societies across over 90 countries. LESI connects, mentors, and represents IP and licensing professionals, facilitating value creation through technology transfer and IP commercialisation across diverse industries.

About IPOS

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) is a statutory board under Singapore's Ministry of Law. As Singapore's national authority for IP registration and administration, IPOS has evolved from a traditional registry to an innovation agency that leverages its IP expertise and networks to drive future growth, mirroring Singapore's own transformation into an innovation-driven economy.

About IPOS International

IPOS International is the capability-building arm of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore. We partner with enterprises and governments to unlock growth through their intangible assets and intellectual property (IA and IP). Backed by over 100 specialists including IP strategists, faculty, patent examiners, and analysts, we make IP work for business.