Major Activites

IP BUSINESS

Creating the future of corporations with intellectual property
Intellectual property is a key asset for determining the sustainable growth and competitiveness of corporations.

Creative ideas of businesses must be recognized as an important asset through proper evaluation and should be actively traded in the market.

The Korea Invention Promotion Association will help stimulate the economy by building a healthy IP business ecosystem through a virtuous cycle of intellectual property.
  • 01

    INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY FINANCE

    Patent Technology Evaluation Support
    We subsidize the cost of commercialization-related valuation, performance analysis, and business feasibility, along with valuation for financial linkage such as guarantees, collateral loans, and investments using registered patents. Those funds can be utilized in IP finance, technology transactions, in-kind investments, technology certifications and more, financing commercialization for small businesses and stimulating the utilization of patented technologies.
    Purchase and Utilization of IP collateral
    If a company defaults on an IP collateral loan, we purchase the bad IP collateral through a recovery support agency, which is funded by the government and financial institutions. Also, we stimulate the transaction of IP collateral loans by reducing the risk of financial institutions through monetization of purchased IP.
    System to Measure, Analyze, and Rate Patent Technology (SMART)
    SMART (smart.kipa.org) provides online patent analysis and evaluation results of registered patents in IP5 (Korea, USA, Europe, China, and Japan) in real time and at low cost through an evaluation model built on objective and quantitative patent data.

    SMART is used for intellectual property finance and transactions as well as for various other purposes, such as performance measurement of national R&D and corporate patent management tools.
    About the Korea Intellectual Property Evaluation Center

    The Korea Intellectual Property Evaluation Center of the Korea Invention Promotion Association is a government-certified technology evaluation agency established in line with Article 35 of the Technology Transfer and Commercialization Promotion Act and Article 28 of the Invention Promotion Act.

    • 2001
      • Established Office of Patent Technology Evaluation
      • Designated as a technology evaluation agency (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)
    • 2003
      • Designated as an invention evaluation agency (Korean Intellectual Property Office)
    • 2005
      • Recognized as an appraisal agency for industrial property rights including patent rights (National Tax Service)
    • 2006
      • Designated as a start-up verification and evaluation agency (Small and Medium Business Administration)
    • 2007
      • Designated as a Hidden Champion training agency (Export-Import Bank of Korea)
      • Designated as a Hidden Star training agency (Kookmin Bank)
      • Recognized as a World Class 300 training agency (Ministry of Knowledge Economy)
    • 2012
      • Designated as an innovative SME technology finance management agency (Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Korea Intellectual Property Office)
    • 2013
      • Designated as an IP collateral loan evaluation agency Korea Development Bank/Industrial Bank of Korea)
      • Designated as an IP guarantee evaluation agency (Korea Credit Guarantee Fund)
      • Designated as an IP investment evaluation agency
    • 2015
      • Designated as a technology finance private investment company (Industrial Bank of Korea)
      • Designated as an IP collateral loan evaluation agency (Kookmin Bank)
    • 2016
      • Designated as an IP investment evaluation agency (investment companies such as Korea Investment Partners and Neoplux)
    • 2017
      • Signed a business agreement with Gwangju Technology Holdings, Korea Innovation Foundation, Korea Association Of Technology Holdings, and Jeollabukdo Business Agency
    • 2018
      • Signed a business agreement with Chungbuk Creative Economy Innovation Center, Sejong Creative Economy Innovation Center, Busan United Holdings, Lindeman Asia Investment, and Seoul Startup Hub
    • 2019
      • Designated as an IP collateral loan evaluation agency (Nonghyup Bank, Shinhan Bank, Woori Bank, and Hana Bank)
      • Signed a business agreement with the Incheon Creative Economy Innovation Center, Jeonbuk Creative Economy Innovation Center, and National Council for Creative Economy Innovation Center
    • 2020
      • Designated as an IP collateral loan evaluation agency (Daegu Bank, Busan Bank, Kwangju Bank, Jeonbuk Bank, and Kyongnam Bank)
    • 2022
      • Launched SMART5 to evaluate IP5 patents
  • 02

    INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

    Technology Evaluation
    The Intellectual Property Evaluation Center is the nation's highest-level technology valuation agency and has its own professional workforce that includes engineers, patent attorneys, and accountants in various fields. Also, it has more than 400 highly experienced and knowledgeable external experts from universities, research Institutes, and related industries. These internal and external experts carry out technology valuations for various purposes, including in-kind investments, technology transactions (transfers), securing investments, patent infringement lawsuits, and claiming damages in cases related to technologies owned by corporations and individuals.

    The Intellectual Property Evaluation Center continues to increase its expertise by developing a number of intellectual property valuation models and technology valuation methodologies, with a focus on medicine biotechnology, agriculture and fisheries, and marine fisheries.
    Revitalizing the Intellectual Property Market
    The Intellectual Property Exchange of the Korea Invention Promotion Association helps stimulate intellectual property transactions through the distribution of unused IP by connecting supply and demand and nurtures the establishment of a healthy intellectual property ecosystem.
    • Patent Transaction Specialists

      The Intellectual Property Exchange provides support for the entire process of intellectual property transactions ranging from consultations and technology matching to mediation and negotiations and contract signings through some of the leading and most experienced experts in the country, including engineers, technicians, and patent attorneys.

    • National Patent Transaction Support

      Provides demand-specific national patent technology matching and IP transaction consulting for individuals and companies that are interested in commercializing patented technologies invented by government employees while on duty.

    • IP-Market (www.ipmarket.or.kr)

      Online intellectual property trading platform that provides a technology database (supply & demand) and online consultation feature that can be utilized in the private and public sectors by individuals, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and universities that are interested in intellectual property transactions.

  • 03

    INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CREATION

    Intellectual Property Utilization Strategies

    The Korea Invention Promotion Association provides customized solutions for corporations to successfully develop and launch their products from the IP standpoint to strengthen corporate competitiveness. We help small- and medium-sized enterprises with IP product innovation by providing technical problem solutions and developing product designs that add enhanced functions.

    • Patent Product Innovation Task

      Provides product planning solutions by discovering core values of customers or solutions to technical difficulties of products (including devices and processes) by utilizing the problem-solving principles of patents in other fields

    • Design Product Innovation Tasks

      Creates benchmarking patents for enhancing product functions by utilizing patent search methodologies and provides product designs and mock-ups based on the patents

    Locally Tailored Intellectual Property Creation

    The Korea Invention Promotion Association provides consulting and other services for intellectual property creation and supports regional IP powerhouses through intellectual property centers in Seoul and other regions.

    • Operation of Regional Intellectual Property Centers

      KIPA promotes the creation and utilization of intellectual property through regional intellectual property centers nationwide.
      These centers strengthen the competitiveness of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), revitalize the local economy, and provide comprehensive one-stop intellectual property services for SMEs, individual inventors, and students through professional consultants.

    • Global IP Star Enterprise Development

      Selected companies are offered a range of services for 3 years, including: overseas intellectual property applications; intermediate case registration; promotional videos for patented technologies; customized patent and design maps; non-English brand development; patent and design convergence; and global IP management diagnoses.