Malaysia has an opportunity to develop its Intellectual Property capabilities to be on a par with the best countries in the Pacific Rim. It is a relatively small country with an active inventor population in its major industries, small and medium companies, entrepreneurs, and Universities. This inventor community is not presently focused on obtaining IP. It is, however, as innovative as their neighboring countries. This lack of focus can be changed effectively and quickly if the government ministries can provide an environment that IP could flourish. This focus will need to be instigated with both a disciplined set of IP requirements in order to obtain government R&D grants, and incentives that will reward inventors with recognition, successful implementation of their IP and personal financial benefit.

This change of focus could be accomplished through natural market dynamics but that would probably take too long and may not be as effective. Creating an IP culture for Malaysia will need a coordinated effort by government, the IP community and the inventor community. The government needs to create regulations that enable IP creation and that require IP-related activates tied to its grant programs. Government commitment to IP will accelerate the needed changes and institutionalize them. This government initiative can take on a number of different forms. It can range from advisory and peripheral to aggressive and active involvement. Some approaches that were discussed during our interviews with various IP and government leaders during our trip to Malaysia last week were:

• Creating a government holding company that would manage a portfolio of IP for the projects and companies it has a stake in
• Using a government subsidized private Malaysian firm to manage IP for small and medium companies
• Creating a standard for government grants to include a disciplined IP consideration as part of its awarding decision
• Using the government's pulpit to promote, support and incentivize the obtaining and managing of IP
• Support and encourage private IP firms to offer services to companies that could not otherwise afford to

Mindvault Sdn Bhd, a leader in Intellectual Property (IP) and Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) solutions, today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with US based PetrashWilliamson to license and deploy best practice Intellectual Property Asset Management (IPAM) tools in Malaysia. This is the first time that these tools will be made available in the South East Asian region.

The tools, LighthouseTM and CompassTM, which are targeted at growth companies, R&D Institutions and large corporations, are the first of their kind to be deployed in the South East Asian region. When deployed, these tools will enable organizations to better measure, manage, and leverage their Intellectual Assets.

LighthouseTM is a ready-made IPAM Intranet Portal. It is a database of IPAM knowledge, including process and methods; standard forms and agreements; training documents; contacts; Q&A's; strategy and tactics; terms and definitions; and links to other IPAM resources.

SMALL- and medium-sized industries (SMIs) and small- and medium-sized businesses should create and develop brands that can compete globally, said Asia-Pacific Brands Foundation chairman Tunku Tan Sri Imran Tuanku Jaafar.

"Local SMIs should no longer just manufacture goods, but also focus on creating positive branding for Malaysia," he said at the launch of The Brand Laureate in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Asia-Pacific Brands Foundation, headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, is a non-profit organisation committed towards promoting and improving branding standards in the region.

Innovation, branding and leadership are the three vital traits which need to come together for the country to face the ever increasing competitive world, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"For me, the three themes of innovation, branding and leadership encapsulate the demands on Malaysia and every developing country that aspires to be successful in these challenging times."

"The three concepts touch upon the fundamental questions of national advantage, namely what we do, how we are perceived and how consistent we are in reaching our goals," he said in his keynote address at the opening of the two-day Global Leadership Forum here Tuesday.