IPOS sets out milestones and new measures relating to intangible assets and intellectual property

8 September 2025

On 26 August 2025, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”) highlighted key milestones, upcoming platforms, and new collaborations at IP Week @ SG 2025 designed to help enterprises unlock value from intangible assets (“IA”) and intellectual property (“IP”) while strengthening cross-border protection.

Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower and Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology, Ministry of Trade and Industry gave the Opening Address at IP Week, stating that Singapore must remain a trusted place for innovation to thrive, which is why Singapore continues to invest in helping its businesses translate IA and IP into real economic value. Dr Tan also noted that IPOS has been instrumental in fostering a vibrant and innovative IA and IP ecosystem in Singapore.

This article provides a brief overview of the key announcements made by IPOS at IP Week.

Strengthening enterprise capabilities

Foundation Intangibles Disclosure programme milestone

Under the Foundation Intangibles Disclosure (“FIND”) programme - a multi-partner initiative by IPOS, the Singapore Exchange, the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (“WIPO”) Singapore office, and the Stock Exchange of Thailand - Nanofilm Technologies became the first company to publish an Intangibles Disclosure Framework report, showcasing structured IA disclosures to improve investor understanding. FIND aims to develop benchmark reports to guide businesses in sharing structured information about their IA.

Enterprise IP Community

IPOS announced the development of the Enterprise IP Community (“EIPC”) platform which is intended to facilitate peer learning, mentorship, and best practice sharing among IP-savvy enterprises. EIPC is expected to be launched later this year. Enterprises can also tap on GoBusiness IP Grow, an online platform to improve accessibility to IP services for enterprises. Since its launch in September 2023, GoBusiness IP Grow has facilitated over 4,500 requests to connect with listed service providers, where businesses can get IP advice and support to grow.

IA valuation consultation

IPOS, together with the Institute of Valuers and Appraisers (Singapore), the American Society of Appraisers, Chartered Business Valuators Institute, and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, is in the process of seeking public feedback on proposed IA valuation guidelines to establish a trusted, consistent approach to valuing IA, including IP.

Practical support via partners

IPOS announced the following collaborations:

  • Franchising & Licensing Association (“FLA”): IPOS and FLA are partnering to deliver practical IP guidance sessions and access to franchising / licensing networks to support regional scaling.
  • SkillsFuture Singapore: IPOS is working with SkillsFuture Singapore to address critical IA/IP skills gaps and build a future-ready workforce for enterprises.
  • WIPO: During IP Week, IPOS and WIPO convened a regional dialogue to share best practices in supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Protection across borders

IPOS also announced the following cross-border initiatives:

  • ASPEC enhancements: The ASEAN Patent Examination Co-operation (“ASPEC”) programme will permanently incorporate Patent Cooperation Treaty reports and from 2026 move towards more harmonised examination reports, making it easier to obtain patents in ASEAN. To date, ASPEC has helped over 400 applicants from more than 30 countries, accelerating approximately 1,800 applications.
  • New cooperation instruments: IPOS concluded agreements with China and the UK and will sign a Declaration of Intent with Switzerland, broadening collaboration pathways for Singapore-based businesses.

Reference materials

The following materials are available on the IPOS website www.ipos.gov.sg by clicking the links below: