Thailand has taken a pioneering step in intellectual property education by becoming the first member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to introduce an upgraded intellectual property training course developed by the World Intellectual Property Organization.

The course, announced in January 2026 by the WIPO Academy, is designed to strengthen human capacity in IP knowledge, skills and application, addressing the needs of both public officials and the private sector across the region.

Participants in the newly launched course will benefit from advanced instruction in core and specialized areas of intellectual property, reflecting the evolving international landscape of innovation, patents, trademarks, copyright and commercialization.

The WIPO Academy, based in Geneva, serves as a centre of excellence for IP training for member states, particularly focusing on developing economies and those in transition, and offers a broad portfolio of hybrid and distance-learning programs to equip officials, business leaders and legal experts with the tools to navigate complex IP environments.

Thailand’s early adoption of this upgraded program underscores Bangkok’s commitment to enhancing national and regional innovation ecosystems through targeted capacity building.

By hosting and promoting the new WIPO course, Thailand aims to boost domestic innovation capacity and support ASEAN’s broader strategic agenda on intellectual property cooperation and economic integration.

The initiative aligns with ongoing WIPO–ASEAN collaborations on IP education, including regional registers, valuation seminars and management clinics, which collectively aim to bridge gaps in IP understanding and enforcement within Southeast Asia.

Thailand’s leadership in this educational milestone reflects its broader role in fostering a more competitive, skilled and forward-looking intellectual property environment across ASEAN.