IPOS and Japan Patent Office announce new cooperation initiative to strengthen collaboration on AI in patent substantive examination

25 May 2026

On 12 May 2026, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”) and the Japan Patent Office (“JPO”) (collectively, “Offices”) announced a new cooperation initiative to strengthen collaboration on artificial intelligence (“AI”) in patent substantive examination, amid rapid advances in technology and growing global interest in AI-enabled intellectual property (“IP”) systems. 

As patent offices worldwide adapt to technological change, IPOS and JPO will deepen collaboration to support high-quality and trusted patent examination. Under the initiative, both Offices will launch a bilateral patent examiner exchange programme and hold regular technical exchanges on the use of AI in patent examination to strengthen capabilities, share best practices, and develop robust processes. 

The cooperation will extend beyond AI, reflecting the longstanding partnership between the Offices to deepen collaboration across various fields. These include patent search and examination quality management, benchmarking of examination practices, IT infrastructure development, operational management, and IP policy exchanges. The Offices will also coordinate initiatives to support enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, to ensure a vibrant IP ecosystem for trade and IP flows between Singapore and Japan. 

The press release notes that, through this partnership, IPOS and JPO reaffirm their shared commitment to addressing emerging challenges in the IP landscape and ensuring that innovation ecosystems remain trusted, efficient, and future-ready. 

Reference materials 

The press release is available on the IPOS website www.ipos.gov.sg.