Building skills tosupport innovationTISCsReport2024 This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. The user is allowedto reproduce, distribute, adapt, translate and publicly perform this publication, including forcommercial purposes, without explicit permission, provided that the content is accompanied byan acknowledgement that WIPO is the source and that it is clearly indicated if changes were madeto the original content.Suggested citation: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (2025).TISCs Report 2024:Building skills to support innovation.Geneva: WIPO. DOIhttps://doi.org/10.34667/tind.58705Adaptation/translation/derivatives should not carry any official emblem or logo, unlessthey have been approved and validated by WIPO. Please contact us via the WIPO website toobtain permission.For any derivative work, please include the following disclaimer: “The Secretariat of WIPOassumes no liability or responsibility with regard to the transformation or translation of theoriginal content.”When content published by WIPO, such as images, graphics, trademarks or logos, is attributedto a third party, the user of such content is solely responsible for clearing the rights with theright holder(s)To view a copy of this license, please visithttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0Any dispute arising under this license that cannot be settled amicably shall be referredto arbitration in accordance with Arbitration Rules of the United Nations Commission onInternational Trade Law (UNCITRAL) then in force. The parties shall be bound by any arbitrationaward rendered as a result of such arbitration as the final adjudication of such a dispute.The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do notimply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of WIPO concerning the legal statusof any country, territory or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiersor boundaries.This publication is not intended to reflect the views of the Member States or the WIPO Secretariat.The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers does not imply that theyare endorsed or recommended by WIPO in preference to others of a similar nature that arenot mentioned.Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)Cover: Getty Images / Kobus Louw, Tom MertonWIPO Publication No. 1059EN/25 © WIPO, 2025First published 2025World Intellectual Property Organization34, chemin des Colombettes,P.O. Box 18CH-1211 Geneva 20Switzerland ContentsForewordKey developmentsTISC network developmentsContinued increase in demand for TISC servicesTISCs as catalysts for filing patent and other IP rights applicationsExpanding the depth and range of innovation support servicesTraining and awareness-raising: supporting local innovatorsRegional initiatives scale up worldwide impact and reachWIPO resources supporting TISCsDigital platforms and tools for accessing information andknowledge and effective TISC managementAccess to Specialized Patent Information (ASPI)Access to Research for Development and Innovation (ARDI)WIPO INSPIREInventor Assistance Program (IAP)IP and innovation collaborationArbitration and mediationTISC Project and Performance Management Platform (TPPM)Training to expand knowledge and skillsTISC Staff Certification ProgramNational and regional training for TISCsIP analytics trainingNew trademark and industrial design searches training materialsPatent drafting trainingTechnology transfer and IP commercialization trainingTraining on institutional IP policiesWIPO Academy distance learning courses for TISCsPublications to support training and reinforce learningIP analytics publicationsTechnology transfer and IP commercialization publicationsSpecial Feature: Certified to serve - the professionalizationof the TISC NetworkLooking aheadTISC program milestonesUseful links 23571011131618181819202323232324242425262626282931323334384042 Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) in developing countries, least developedcountries and transition countries play a key role in enabling local innovators to reach theirinnovation potential.Typically located in patent offices, universities, research centers, and science and technologyparks, TISCs enable researchers and inventors to get local support in accessing and usingtechnological information from more than 150 million published patent documents and scoresof scientific and technical publications. In recent years, many TISCs have started developingadditional innovation support services in patent analytics, technology transfer, intellectualproperty (IP) management and commercialization to adapt to the needs of innovators.Created and managed by the IP for Innovators Department (IPID) in the WIPO IP and InnovationEcosystems Sector, the TISC program supports WIPO’s mission to help member states developtheir IP and innovation ecosystems and to support researchers and innovators in using the IPsystem for innovation