593. We thank the Members that have submitted this initiative.
594. Ecuador, with a view to stimulating the growth of MSMEs, has made a register of MSMEs available to citizens through the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries, allowing the owners of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to access benefits and programmes offering support in areas such as promotion, growth and development. Registration can be obtained through the Ministry's official portal.
595. Another state programme for MSMEs in the area of IP involves the National Intellectual Rights Service (SENADI) offering discounts of 50% 90% on registration fees, which facilitates access to protection for IP protected intangible assets. Users may access this benefit by filling out the corresponding online form available through the SENADI official website.
596. Moreover, since August 2020, Ecuador has been running a pilot project for institutions that support SMEs. This has been implemented by the Ministry of Production and our National IP Office, with a view to promoting awareness among national SME support institutions of the importance of IP and empowering these institutions with an understanding of IP so that they are able to advise and train SMEs on how to effectively use and manage IP tools to increase their competitiveness. The project is being run in cooperation with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
597. Similarly, the national Government enacted the Organic Law on Entrepreneurship and Innovation of 2020, the purpose of which is to establish a regulatory framework that encourages and fosters entrepreneurship, innovation and technological development, and promotes an entrepreneurial culture in Ecuador to strengthen the entrepreneur ecosystem.
598. Lastly, our national office, SENADI, offers an ongoing training service for entrepreneurs, researchers and students, with the aim of disseminating information to boost the registration of intellectual property.
599. We intend to continue with these training programmes on a regular and ongoing basis in order to reach a growing number of entrepreneurs and, above all, keep them up to date on the subject.
