Green Patents Take Center Stage at the 5th ABPI Patent of the Year Award
The ABPI Patent of the Year Award reaches its 5th edition with resounding success. Since the project’s inception, companies, institutions, scientists, and researchers have been honored for developing patents in various fields, such as COVID-19, sustainable economic development, human well-being, and the promotion of social equality.
This year, the 5th ABPI Patent of the Year Award 2024 will recognize innovations protected by Green Patents. The goal is to acknowledge the work of professionals and companies who understand the importance of Intellectual Property and seek protection for their creations in Brazil.
“We chose the theme of green patents for this edition because we know the necessity and importance of encouraging the development of environmentally friendly solutions,” says Ricardo Boclin, the Award Coordinator. “We are living in a climate emergency. The warming of the planet and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events such as heavy rains, droughts, and heat waves are affecting people’s lives and various economic sectors. Awarding inventions and patents concerned with the environment is a duty,” he explains.
Applications for the 5th ABPI Patent of the Year Award 2024 are open to granted patents or accepted patent applications filed in Brazil that used the BPTO’s Green Patent Fast-Track. These can be either inventions or utility models. “This award also allows ABPI to highlight the BPTO’s green patent fast-track, which is a success story,” Boclin adds.
Applications for the 5th ABPI Patent of the Year Award 2024 can be submitted until 6 PM (BRT) on July 12, 2024.
The Organizing Committee will select the cases that meet the eligibility requirements and forward them to the Judging Committee. The evaluation and selection of the winning case will be carried out by the Judging Committee, consisting of members from the BPTO’s Academy of Intellectual Property, Innovation, and Development, using the following criteria:
Potential for generating social equality (40%)
Environmental impact (25%)
Potential for generating economic benefits (10%)
Internationalization of protection (5%)
Participation of Black inventors (5%)
Gender approach (5%)
Participation of inventors from the Northeast of Brazil (5%)
Participation of Brazilian inventors (5%)
The Award will be presented during ABPI’s 44th International Congress on Intellectual Property, held from August 12 to 13, 2024, in Porto de Galinhas (PE). The winners will receive recognition plaques and one year of free membership in ABPI.
Five Years of Success
The first edition of the Award in 2020 honored the Best Patent Applied to Covid-19. The awardees were Marcos Pinotti Barbosa (in memoriam), Shirley Lima Campos, Cleysson Bruno Santos Vimieiro, and Daniel Neves Rocha from the Federal University of Minas Gerais – UFMG. They stood out for developing an inventive solution for the Method and Bronchial Secretion Aspiration Probe.
In 2021, the second edition awarded patents that contributed to sustainable economic development. The prize was given to Cargill, Incorporated (USA) – represented by its Intellectual Property attorney, Eila Mota – and to inventors Ricardo Chagas da Silva and Hélio Haruo Ushijima. They developed the patent “Dust Suppression Additive, Process for Manufacturing the Dust Additive and Fertilizers, and Method for Reducing Dust Emission in the Mining Industry.”
In 2022, the 3rd edition focused on innovation for human well-being. The winning patent was “Thermal Control Fabric, Process of Obtaining and Use,” awarded to the holders: State University of Minas Gerais (UEMG); Foundation for Research Support of the State of Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and inventors Eliane Ayres; Rosemary Bom Conselho Sales; Priscila Ariane Loschi and Rodrigo Lambert Oréfice.
Last year, the 4th edition awarded patents aimed at promoting social equality. The prize was given to Andrelson Wellington Rinaldi, Rogério Dos Santos Maniezzo, Hugo Henrique Carline De Lima, Marcos Rogério Guilherme, Murilo Pereira Moisés, Pedro Augusto Arroyo, and Vicente Lira Kupfer. They are from the State University of Maringá (UEM) and the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR) and created the invention titled “Process for Obtaining Activated Carbon from the Hydrothermal Carbonization of Cigarette Butts.”
The BPTO has supported all editions. Participate and access the registration links:
