The team from Sigulda Primary School No 1 became the winner in the age group of grades 5-8, while Jelgava Spīdola State Gymnasium won in the age group of grades 9-12 and also got the Award for Schoolchildren from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in the Creative Intellectual competition organized by the Latvian Patent Office.
This year, the competition received a record high number of applications from 52 teams in both school-age groups, the total number of participants having reached 150. A closing ceremony was held on 24 November at the airBaltic Training Center and was led by Jānis Pētersons, the leader of the Citi Zēni pop band. Before the beginning of the awarding ceremony, the competition laureates had the opportunity to learn about the professions of pilot and flight crew, as well as to master how to act during an emergency landing of an aircraft.
The winners of the competition were greeted by Minister of Justice Inese Lībiņa-Egnere. In her congratulation speech, the minister wished the young people to find that profession or occupation that will enable them to express their talent and possibly create something unique, bringing Latvia's name to the wider world. " In the future, we very much hope to see your names on the world intellectual property (IP)map," Ms. Lībiņa-Egnere wished the laureates.
In the age group of grades 9-12, the 1st place and the WIPO Award for Schoolchildren was won by the team "Protect yourself, Help Others Do It!" represented by the 11th grade students Selīna Marta Sarkisjane, Laura Patricija Antāne, and teacher Inta Jornina from Jelgava Spīdola State Gymnasium. The "Untitled Team" of the 11th grade students Jēkabs Kulbergs, Evija Reininiece, Laura Šnuka, and teacher Guntra Gaidlazde from Valka Jānis Cimze Gymnasium took the 2nd place, while the honourable 3rd place was taken by the team "Intellectual Path in the Haunted House" represented by the 11th grade students Amelia Senkāne, Adriana Auziņa, Roberts Šķirus, and teacher Ilze Skudra from Jelgava Secondary School of Technology.
In the age group of grades 5-8, the 1st place was won by the team "My Intellect is My Property" represented by the 5th grade students Elza Actiņa, Leila Šteinberga, Adele Kurpniece, and teacher Lolita Šteinberga from Sigulda Primary School No 1. The team "Chemical Entrepreneurs" represented by the 8th grade students Amina Baysarova, Romans Miļuhins, Timofejs Rupato, and teacher Viktorija Kapura from Ventspils Primary School No 3 took the 2nd place, while the 3rd place was taken by the team "VPP Strivers" represented by the 8th grade students Braiens Kalniņš, Emīls Markus Krilovs, and teacher Zane Piusa from Ventpils Parventas Primary School.
The sympathy award was given to the team "Laimonis and Edžus" represented by the 11th grade students Adrians Hofmanis, Madara Gūtmane, Laura Kudinova, and teacher Ilze Skudra from Jelgava Secondary School of Technology, while the promotion award was received by the team "Patentija" of the 3rd and 4th year students Rēzija Egmane, Aija Sudraba, Keita Rogača, and teacher Linda Kravcova from Liepaja State Technical School.
Director of the Patent Board Agris Batalauskis noted: "Year after year we see how creative, unique and attractive the assignments developed by schoolchildren are. Young people do not just spend time, but do it usefully, learning about IP protection. The great activity of students and record high number of applications show that the idea of integrating IP topics into study programmes should be seriously considered."
The competition aims at developing creativity and promoting students' understanding of the importance of intellectual and, in particular, industrial property in business, as well as at stimulating students' curiosity and interest in research, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation. To participate in the competition, the students had to prepare two creative tasks on the topic of IP. The panel of experts evaluating the students’ works included: Baiba Kravale from the Association of Latvian Patent Attorneys, Jevgeņija Gainutdinova from the Latvian National Group of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), Inga Bolmane from Junior Achievement Latvia, and Dace Liberte and Inguna Gruntiņa from the Latvian Patent Office.
“No matter what your future profession will be, the knowledge of IP will always be useful - both for yourselves and also for sharing with others," stressed Dace Liberte, Chairman of the Industrial Property Board of Appeal, congratulating the winners. In her turn, the representative of Junior Achievement Latvia Inga Bolmane reminded that it is important for everyone in business to protect their inventions and not to use the IP created by others without their permission.
The competition is organized annually by the Latvian Patent Office in cooperation with the National Centre for Education, the Association of Latvian Patent Attorneys, the Latvian National Group of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), and Junior Achievement Latvia.