INTELLECT GROUP’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER
SPEECH BY CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG
AT INTELLECT GROUP’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER
16 DECEMBER 2018
HARD ROCK HOTEL
Mr Solomon Lee
Founder & Group CEO of Intellect Group of IP Companies
Ms Joanne Loh
Group COO of Intellect Group of IP Companies
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
A very good afternoon to everyone.
It is a great pleasure for me to join all of you tonight to celebrate Intellect Group of IP Companies’ 25 excellent years in the Intellectual Property field. Congratulations to Intellect Group of IP Companies’ Founder and CEO Mr Solomon Lee, the Co-Founder and COO, Ms Joanne Loh, the management and all the staffs for the invitation to officiate this historical milestone of the company.
Over the past 10 years, the Penang State Government has launched numerous initiatives to create a robust, vibrant and conducive ecosystem, not only to increase FDI to the state, but also to create and grow more local businesses.
In August this year, I have launched the Penang2030 vision, which focuses on 4 key initiatives: improving liveability, economy, civil participation and balanced development, to achieve a family focused, green and smart state. The second initiative of economy emphasises on upgrading the economy to raise the household income, by preparing local manufacturing industries towards the digital age, diversifying sustainable agriculture and building a fertile ecosystem for the creative industry.
In enhancing the growth of Penang’s technology ecosystem, the State Government has launched the Penang i4.0 Seed Fund in March this year, with an allocation of RM4 million, which offers up to RM250,000 to start-ups. For the first batch of applicants in August, funding was awarded to 16 companies, each receiving minimum of RM50,000. The subsequent batches of applicants are still on-going.
In line with that, the Federal Government had also launched the National Policy on Industry 4.0 in October this year, with a 4-pronged strategy of increasing the level of productivity in manufacturing industry per person, elevating absolute contribution of the manufacturing sector to the economy, strengthen the country’s innovation capacity and capability, and increasing the amount of high skilled workers.
Intellectual Property (IP) administration and management remains a key factor in the success of businesses, regardless of the industry. Businesses should not only know how to create and build their IP portfolio, but more importantly they need to master the art of integrating it into their business strategy to optimize its potential to maximize the value of the organization.
In recent years, the emergence of China as the top applicant of patents, trademarks and industrial designs has changed the geographic of IP activities. ASEAN countries continue to play a pivotal role in developing the recognition and enforcement of IP rights in the region. For example, recently Lazada has established an IP protection framework with the Korea IP Protection agency (KOIPA) to work on a process of reporting and removing fake goods from their listings, which will cover 6 ASEAN countries including Malaysia.
I’m proud to understand that Intellect Group of IP Companies, being a Penang home-grown IP consulting firm, is playing an important role in the field of IP, in contributing to the success of the initiatives of the State Government and Federal Government. Businesses in Malaysia and the region need capable, trusted and dynamic IP consulting firms like Intellect to be able to maximize their IP’s full potential.
Intellect has grown from a team of two staffs, comprising of Solomon Lee and Joanne Loh in 1993 to more than 30 workforces in a span of 25 years. During the timeframe, Intellect has expanded its range of IP services from IP registration to IP Expansion, IP Commercialization, IP Management and IP Training.
It amazes me that Intellect has recently invested in e-commerce to stay relevant and competitive in today’s global digital business trend. I believe this specially designed online service called ipon9 will reach wider customer base especially young entrepreneurs and start-ups with small capital and enable them to protect their IP at a much lower price, thus benefiting more businesses and the economy at large. I have no doubt that the technology-based platform will enable Intellect to continue to be a significant player in the IP industry in the coming years.
I also understand that Intellect has widen its customer base particularly in the ASEAN countries and have strategic partners in China, Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, that enables businesses to protect and manage their IP understand a common platform. As the Chief Minister of Penang, I am proud to know that Intellect has chosen Penang as its main management and operations hub, and as a homegrown brand plays an important role in assisting many international clients to expand their brands to Penang if not the whole of Malaysia and vice versa.
As I conclude, I wish to congratulate Solomon, Joanne and their passionate team for achieving this remarkable milestone. Happy 25th Anniversary and many more successful years to come!
Thank you.