Patent Office Calls for 'Public Safety' Invention Ideas from Government Officials

The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) is launching a public safety invention idea contest for government officials.

KIPO announced on the 1st that it will accept ideas for the government official category of the "2024 National Public Safety Invention Challenge" until the 31st of next month, in collaboration with the Korea Customs Service, National Police Agency, National Fire Agency, and Korea Coast Guard.

Provided by the Korean Intellectual Property Office

The National Public Safety Invention Challenge is held to secure public safety by discovering excellent ideas on the theme of safety in disaster and public security fields, with participation from both the public and government officials. Now in its 7th year, the challenge has been divided into public and government official categories since last year.

The government official category accepts ideas from officials affiliated with the Korea Customs Service, National Police Agency, National Fire Agency, and Korea Coast Guard, aiming to discover technologies that protect public safety based on their experiences at disaster, accident, and incident sites.

Ideas related to public safety that can be immediately applied on-site,

Any government official or employee affiliated with the Korea Customs Service, National Police Agency, National Fire Agency, and Korea Coast Guard can submit up to five ideas per person through KIPO’s online platform "Idea-ro." Submitted ideas must be related to public safety and capable of immediate on-site application.

After the submission deadline, from June to July, experts in each field will review the ideas and select a total of 24 ideas. From July to September, intellectual property experts and current and former field experts will help refine the ideas to facilitate patent applications for outstanding ideas.

Once the selected ideas are further developed, a final evaluation will be conducted in October to determine the awards, and prizes and the Speaker of the National Assembly Award will be presented at the year-end awards ceremony.

The public participation category will begin in May, and outstanding ideas proposed will be disclosed to the public and made available for use by each institution. KIPO will also award certificates and prizes to outstanding idea proposers in the public participation category.

For more detailed information about the challenge, inquiries can be made through the Invention Promotion Office of the Korea Invention Promotion Association.