Wei Ming (3rd R), deputy general manager of Shylon Optoelectronic Technology Co Ltd, receives the trophy at the first WIPO Global Awards in Geneva, Switzerland on July 19. [Photo/WeChat account: Shanghai_IPA]

The World Intellectual Property Organization, or WIPO, on July 19 held an awards ceremony for the winners of the first WIPO Global Awards at its headquarters in the city of Geneva in Switzerland.

Five companies from China, the Netherlands, Singapore and Japan received awards. They were selected by a group of seven jurors out of 272 submissions spanning 62 countries.

Shylon Optoelectronic Technology Co Ltd – based in Shanghai city in East China – was one of the winners.

Founded in 2010, Shylon is a high-tech enterprise that researches and develops high-precision and energy-saving landscape lighting systems and supporting lamps. The company currently holds eight invention patents, 33 utility model patents, 56 appearance patents, 29 software copyrights, 15 registered trademarks and two Patent Cooperation Treaty, or PCT international patents.

In recent years, Shanghai enterprises have actively used the WIPO global service network to expand in overseas markets and to participate in international competition and commerce.

In 2021, the number of PCT international patent applications in Shanghai was 4,830, up 35.75 percent year-on-year, while the number of trademarks applied through the internationally recognized Madrid System was 424, an increase of 11 percent year-on-year.

The Global Awards program expounds WIPO's mission to ensure a world where intellectual property rights support innovation and creativity from anywhere, for the good of everyone.

The inaugural Global Awards celebrated small and medium-sized enterprises, which are widely viewed as forming the backbone of the international economy.