Peter Wiebler: “USAID is Ready to Continue Partnering with Sakpatenti”

Mr. Mindia Davitadze, the new Chairman of the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia, hosted Peter Wiebler, USAID/Georgia Mission Director. An introductory meeting between Mr. Peter Wiebler and the Sakpatenti Chairman took place at the National Intellectual Property Center premises. 

Over the years, USAID/Georgia has supported Sakpatenti to develop a system for protecting intellectual property, for which Mr. Mindia Davitadze expressed gratitude to the USAID/Georgia Mission Director.  Dr. Davitadze stressed that effective steps have been taken in cooperation with the U.S. Government in recent years, namely the electronic filing system introduced within the e-Governance project which has ensured uninterrupted functioning of Sakpatenti during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In addition, the Quality Management (QM) Handbook, developed within the Human and Institutional Capacity Development (HICD) project implemented with USAID/Georgia support, laid the foundation for Sakpatenti to obtain the international standard ISO 9001 in the future. At the same time, there remains room for growth in this respect and the new management of Sakpatenti looks forward to partnering with USAID to implement various relevant projects. 

Mr. Wiebler became familiar with the vision of the new Sakpatenti Chairman concerning the further development of the intellectual property system, which, among other directions, includes drafting of Sakpatenti Strategy and Action Plan, improvement of the human resources management system, description of processes required for ISO 9001 standard certification, and alignment with the requirements of the standard. 

The USAID/Georgia Mission Director confirmed that the U.S. Government will continue to support the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia Sakpatenti. Mr. Wiebler noted that the information received during the meeting will be discussed and considered and the possibilities for future cooperation will be outlined. 

USAID is the leading development agency of the U.S. Government.  The Agency supports Georgia to build the capacity to finance, plan, and implement its own solutions to development challenges.  USAID has worked in Georgia since 1992, supporting the country’s transformation into a developing democracy that is increasingly integrated into Western political, security, and economic institutions.  More than 30 USAID programs stimulate inclusive economic growth, develop democratic governance, enhance energy security, and foster social inclusion.