(KPL) On November 26, 2024, a ceremony was held to hand over tea brewing equipment to the Paksong Tea Promotion Association at their office in Ban Lak 35, Paksong District, Champasak Province.

The event was attended by distinguished guests, including Mr. Saysomphet Norlasing, Director of the Intellectual Property Department, Ministry of Industry and Commerce; Mr. Aphivath Sombounkhan, Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Industry and Commerce; Ms. Ara Cho, Deputy Director of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO); and Mr. Sengthong Manisap, President of the Paksong Tea Promotion Association.

This ceremony is part of the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Champasak Province, which began in 2022. 

The Department of Intellectual Property recognizes the importance of developing the Lao tea products and sees their potential in enhancing the product balance, enabling both domestic and international exports. The Department emphasizes the use of intellectual property, technology in production, branding, and national origin registration to support these products.

The Korean government has proposed the creation of an Intellectual Property Sharing (IP Sharing) project aimed at promoting and developing tea leaf processing, particularly the development of tea processing equipment and the branding of Paksong tea.

In 2023, the Korean government provided a grant to support this development in Laos, designating the Korea Innovation Promotion Association as the project manager and the Paksong Tea Promotion Association as the beneficiary. 

Over the course of the project, experts visited Laos three times to gather information and design a tea steaming machine for the Paksong Tea Promotion Association.

The assistance provided included five tea leaf pressing machines, one tea leaf roasting machine, as well as support in designing trademarks, packaging, and marketing strategies for Paksong Tea. The installation of the machinery has been completed, and the trademark design for Paksong tea products has also been finalized.

The Department of Intellectual Property is committed to creating an environment where intellectual property drives innovation, technology, and socio-economic growth in Laos. This aligns with the vision for 2030, where the Department plans to implement activities that promote intellectual property usage in education, research institutes, and enterprises across various sectors, including industry, agriculture, trade, and culture. A key objective is to increase the registration of intellectual property to foster innovation and add value to Lao products, facilitating their entry into international markets.

KPL