The first annual conference of the Initiative took place from 21 to 23 March 2018, at Majadas de Pirque in Santiago de Chile. Organized by the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in collaboration with the Chilean National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI), the conference brought together more than 50 Latin American experts on intellectual property, innovation and trade, including academics, lawyers and representatives of international and regional organizations, public authorities and the private sector.

After notes and reflections on the perspectives of regional integration and the challenges to innovation in Latin America, the conference was structured around four main issues discussed in specialized working groups: (i) the market for technological goods, (ii) the market for cultural goods, (iii) distinctive signs and geographical indications and (iv) institutional frameworks and inclusive strategies in the region. The working groups aimed to identify current challenges, possible solutions and relevant questions for academic research in each of the fields.

The main outcomes of the working groups were discussed in plenary. Despite the different contexts and challenges related to each specific topic, it was concluded that Latin American countries have a potential for greater regional cooperation in issues related to intellectual property, which can occur at different levels depending on the objectives to be achieved and the needs of the countries, such as registration procedures, capacity building, public policies, negotiation at international level, bilateral treaties and legal harmonization. The experts also stressed that it is necessary to consider mechanisms outside of the intellectual property system to encourage and promote innovation in the region.

The Santiago conference was the starting point for some organizational measures later adopted by the Initiative, such as the creation of an Advisory Committee, the establishment of the Observatory and the alternation between general events (conferences) and the more specific workshops. It was also the starting point for the research projects on Patent Flexibilities, Collective Distinctive Signs, International Technology Transfer and Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights.

Participants:

• Alberto J. Cerda Silva (Chile) - Professor, Universidad de Chile
• Alejandro Guarello (Chile) - President, Sociedad Chilena del Derecho de Autor (SCD)
• Ana María Pacón (Perú) - Consultant, Pacon-Schiantarelli
• Andrea Fierros (México) - Intellectual Property Coordinator, Televisa
• Bernardita Méndez (Chile) - Co-founder and President, Fundación Ciencias para la Vida
• Carlos Correa (Argentina) - Professor, Universidad de Buenos Aires
• Carolina Belmar (Chile) - Subdirectora de Marcas, Instituto Nacional de Propiedad Industrial (INAPI)
• Christian Schmitz (Chile) - Dean, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción
• Claudio Taddeo (Argentina) - Trademark Director, Instituto Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial (INPI)
• Clemente Forero (Colombia) - Professor, Universidad de los Andes
• Cristiane Schmidt (Brasil) - Commissioner, Consejo Administrativo de Defensa Económica (CADE)
• Elizabeth Kasznar (Brasil) - Lawyer, Kaznar Leonardos
• Esteban Rubio (Colombia) - Intellectual Property Coordinator, Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia
• Felix Rozanski (Argentina) - Coordinator, Centro de Estudios para el Desarrollo de la Industria Químico Farmacéutica Argentina (CEDIQUIFA)
• Francisco Astudillo Gómez (Venezuela) - Professor, Universidad Central de Venezuela
• Francisco Beneke (Germany) - Junior Research Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
• Gerard Casaubon (Chile) - Director of the Innovation Centre, Concha y Toro
• Gustavo Schötz (Argentina) - Director, Dirección Nacional del Derecho de Autor
• Ivo Gagliuffi (Perú) - President of the Executive Committee, Instituto Nacional de Defensa de la Competencia y la Protección de la Propiedad Intelectual (INDECOPI)
• Javier Bravo (Chile), Senior Legal Counsel, Nestlé
• Javier Coronado Saleh (Perú) - General Manager, Instituto Nacional de Defensa de la Competencia y de la Protección de la Propiedad Intelectual (INDECOPI)
• Javier Fernández (Argentina) - National Judge of First Instance
• Jorge Cabrera Medaglia (Costa Rica) - Professor, Universidad de Costa Rica
• José Luis Londoño (Colombia) - Director for LAtin America and the Carribean, International Trademark Association (INTA)
• José Manuel Magaña Rufino (México) - Professor, Universidad Panamericana
• José Miguel Benavente (Chile) - Lead Innovation Specialist, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
• Juan Carlos Domínguez (México) - Director General, Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía (IMCINE)
• Juan Francisco Ortega Díaz (Colombia) - Professor, Universidad de los Andes
• Juan Somavía (Chile) - Director, Academia Diplomática de Chile; Former Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO)
• Loris Baena Cunha Neto (Brasil) - General Counsel, Instituto Nacional da Propriedade Industrial (INPI)
• Luis Alonso García (Perú) - Lawyer, Baker McKenzie
• Marcelo Di Pietro Peralta (Argentina) - Director, Organización Mundial de la Propiedad Intelectual (OMPI)
• Marcos Wachowicz (Brasil) - Professor, Universidade Federal do Paraná
• María del Carmen Arana (Perú) - Professor, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
• María Paz Canales (Chile) - Executive Director, Derechos Digitales
• Marlos Mazzeu Silveira (Brasil) - Intellectual Property Coordinator, Embraer
• Martín Michaus (México) - Lawyer, Basham, Ringe y Correa
• Matthias Lamping (Germany) - Senior Research Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
• Maximiliano Santa Cruz (Chile) - Director, Instituto Nacional de Propiedad Industrial (INAPI)
• Pedro Henrique D. Batista (Germany) - Junior Research Fellow, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
• Pedro Roffe (Chile) - Senior Fellow, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD)
• Reto Hilty (Germany) - Director, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
• Ricardo Guarinoni (Argentina) - Judge of the Federal Court of Appeals
• Santiago Roca (Perú) - Professor, Universidad ESAN
• Sebastián Herreros (Chile) - Economic Affairs Officer, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
• Valentina Delich (Argentina) - Professor, Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO)