Amman, Oct. 27 (Petra) -- The Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO) is participating in the Arab-African Interregional Forum on Intellectual Property and Export Competitiveness, which opened Tuesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The three-day forum, organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in cooperation with the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Authority, brings together representatives of Arab and African institutions involved in enterprise development and export promotion.

JEDCO CEO Ghaleb Hijazi is representing the corporation at the event, which runs from October 27 to 29.

In a statement Tuesday, JEDCO said its participation aims to strengthen international cooperation and explore ways to use intellectual property systems to improve the competitiveness of Jordanian enterprises and expand their access to regional and global markets.

The corporation said the initiative supports efforts to increase goods and services exports and create growth opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The forum focuses on the role of intellectual property in enhancing export competitiveness, with discussions covering international protection mechanisms, including the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), the Madrid System for the international registration of trademarks and the Hague System for the international registration of industrial designs.

Participants are also examining ways to improve services for exporters, strengthen cooperation among relevant institutions and help businesses protect their intellectual assets as they expand into foreign markets.

Other sessions address challenges facing enterprises in securing intellectual property rights, alongside the need to develop institutional frameworks and advisory services that support innovation and export development.

JEDCO said the forum provides an opportunity to exchange expertise with regional and international partners and identify practices that could help Jordanian businesses strengthen their competitive position.

The corporation added that building partnerships and improving access to knowledge in innovation, intellectual property and international trade are central to its efforts to support enterprise growth and increase the sector's contribution to the national economy.

//Petra// RZ