‘Intellectual Property’ refers to all products and works that
are the fruit of the human mind and therefore plays a significant role in our
daily lives. Rights accorded by the state in respect of intellectual property
such as copyright, patents, trademarks and registered designs provide
businesses, artists and inventors with a means to protect products and
creations and also encourage them to invest in innovation and creativity to the
benefit of society.
The
Malta Intellectual Property Awards are aimed at recognising and promoting the
creation of Intellectual Property in Malta. The Award has four categories:
Award for Creative Initiative
The
‘Award for Creative Initiative’ rewards individuals or enterprises operating in
the cultural and creative sectors. For the purposes of the ‘Malta Intellectual
Property Awards’, submissions in this category shall be in respect of artistic
or audio-visual works or a combination thereof.
Award for
Scientific Initiative
The
‘Award for Scientific Initiative’ recognises science-based research findings
generated by science students, academics and professionals. The initiative
could be a new product, a significant improvement of an existing product, a new
use of an existing product or a new process.
Award for
Technological Initiative
The
‘Award for Technological Initiative’ requires the development of new and
innovative, or step-change improvements, with respect to problem solving of
real commercial or societal challenges. The outcome should be an innovative
technological process or an existing solution that is improved radically for
application in a novel situation.
Award for
Emerging Innovation Initiative
This
award is divided into two sub-categories namely:
- Age 16
to 30 and
- Age 31
and over.
The
‘Award for Emerging Innovation’ acknowledges initiative aimed at encouraging
projects that are not created by experienced creative, scientific or
professional persons, but which nonetheless are still promising and innovative.
Eligible projects for this category must be the work of an individual or entity
that is a newcomer to the field i.e. has been operating in the field for less
than 5 years. Projects submitted under this category must fall under one of the
previous 3 categories of either Creative, Scientific or Technological
Initiative.
Projects
should be tangible, concrete and well developed into either actual or very
promising products or processes. Any concepts which are essentially based on
abstract ideas and intentions are not considered to fall within the scope of
the awards.
The
winners of the first and second place for categories 1, 2 and 3 shall receive
€8,000 & €4,000 respectively in each category.
The
winners of categories 4a) and 4b) shall each receive €4,000.
In
line with the theme of the World Intellectual Property Day who can show to the
satisfaction of the selection committee how their project promotes preservation
of the environment and efforts to tackle climate change will be eligible for an
additional award as follows:
- Applicants
who place 1st in categories 1, 2 and 3 will receive an
additional €1,000 each
- Applicants
who place 2nd in categories 1, 2 and 3 and winners of the
category 4a and 4b will receive an additional €600 each
Applications
will be received via email on ipoffice@gov.mt from
Monday 11th May until Sunday 21st June.
Submissions
are to be made on the relative forms which will be made available as from
Monday 4 May.
MIPA 2020 Guide Lines
MIPA 2020 Creative Initiative Award
MIPA 2020 Scientific Initiative Award
MIPA 2020 Technological Initiative Award