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April 2012
The “APEC Conference on Innovation and Trade” Held in Singapore for Promoting Cross-Border Innovation through a Free and Open Environment for Trade and Investment

The “APEC Conference on Innovation and Trade” Held in Singapore for Promoting Cross-Border Innovation through a Free and Open Environment for Trade and Investment

The "APEC Conference on Innovation and Trade" was held in Singapore from April 4 to 5 under the leadership of Japan. At this conference, participants, including government officials, entrepreneurs, investors, large companies and researchers, shared an understanding of "roles of the governments," "business environments," "social infrastructures, such as information and communications technology (ICT)," "human resource development (entrepreneur education)," and "interconnectedness between innovation leaders," which are all essential factors for promoting cross-border innovation, in light of the "promoting effective, non-discriminatory and market-driven innovation policy" confirmed at the Economic Leaders' Meeting last year.

As the main achievement of the conference, the results will be reported to the leaders at the APEC Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade in June 2012 and other meetings.

1. Summary of the results

A free and open environment is expected to serve as the base for cross-border innovation in the Asia-Pacific region. During the Economic Leaders' Meeting held last November in Hawaii, the U.S., APEC member economies confirmed that they should promote an effective, non-discriminatory, and market-driven innovation policy.
The conference was held in Singapore from April 4 to 5 under the leadership of Japan, focusing on "specific steps for utilizing a free and open environment for trade and investment for the promotion of cross-border innovation" for the purpose of connecting the results of the policy to the actions of APEC's member economies.
Guest speakers, including entrepreneurs, investors, large companies and researchers, who are involved in innovation, as well as government officials in charge of trade or innovation policies in member economies, participated in the conference. They thoroughly discussed "roles of the governments," "business environments," "social infrastructures such as ICT," "human resource development (entrepreneur education)," and "interconnectedness between innovation leaders," which are all essential factors for promoting cross-border innovation, and shared the understanding that the following actions are necessary:
1. Establishing transparent trade and investment systems in the region of the member economies that are free and open and enhance the base level of "trust" in the economies of the region;
2. Strengthening and deepening regional economic integration of the member economies in order to achieve a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP);
3. Establishing environments in which the inventive ideas of private firms and other "innovation actors" are not restricted by national borders or organizations' frameworks in the specific areas, especially the protection of intellectual property rights and non-discriminatory business environment on domestic and foreign enterprises;
4. Promoting the establishment of ICT network technologies and a base for integration, such as logistics and energy infrastructures, through the effective introduction of government and private resources, and thereby enhancing the interconnectedness between innovation leaders in the region of the member economies.
As the main achievement of the conference, the results will be reported to the leaders at the APEC Meeting of Ministers Responsible for Trade in Kazan, Russia, in early June 2012, and other meetings.