The fashion industry, along with fast fashion culture in modern society, has become a major concern for the environment and climate. According to Reuters, the fashion industry is responsible for approximately 10% of global carbon emissions. Consequently, major fashion players are facing significant public pressure to address environmental concerns.

In response to these heavy criticisms, the fashion company H&M has sponsored a research project involving an apron capable of absorbing CO2, developed by the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA). The purpose of this project is to minimize the negative impact of the fashion industry on the climate.

According to technical information from HKRITA, this invention is developed through a chemical process. A solution containing amino acids is used to treat cotton and fabric fibers to create a material with CO2-absorbing properties. After usage, the apron is heated to around 30-40°C to release the stored CO2, which can then be used to “feed” plants. Additionally, it’s claimed that this apron can absorb as much CO2 as one-third of what a tree consumes in a day.

All this information can be used to create a narrative for the media: H&M is an environmentally-conscious brand, acknowledging its environmental impact and investing in a CO2-absorbing apron. However, is this truly a meaningful environmental initiative from H&M?

❓❓❓Several questions arise: How many people use this apron every day? Does the apron manufacturing process generate CO2 emissions? How much of the emitted CO2 can be offset by the absorbed CO2? Why invest in developing a fashion accessory rather than investing in production technology or emissions reduction technologies?

❌Developing a material that absorbs CO2 is an intriguing idea. However, from the perspective of H&M, is this merely a PR stunt to appease public opinion?

⁉ Does investing in innovative environmental technology address the global pollution burden?

⁉ Can commercializing carbon reduction technology become a sustainable technology solution for the future?

⁉ Does the First Movers Coalition, an alliance of pioneers combating climate change through environmental technology, bring about significant change?

🍀 On May 25th, Mr. Ngô Đắc Thuần, Chairman of the Board of Directors of IP Group, conducted a training and advisory session at the conference on “Guidance for Establishing Science and Technology Enterprises” organized by the Bình Thuận Provincial Department of Science and Technology. The topic of the session was “Sharing Solutions to Help Businesses Become Science and Technology Enterprises.”

⭐️ In line with the conference’s objectives to promote the development of science and technology enterprises in the province, IP Group presented the current situation of businesses and proposed solutions for them to either maintain their status or become Science and Technology Enterprises. The conference also provided an opportunity to hear practical experiences from businesses that IP Group has advised on patents and successfully transformed into Science and Technology Enterprises.

💦 Additionally, the conference featured a sharing session by Mr. Lê Trung Hiếu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ewater Engineering, a Science and Technology Enterprise and a client of IP Group.

🎯 IP Group always aspires to bring science and technology to the sustainable development of each Vietnamese business.

⚠️ Nowadays, on various public information sources, it’s not hard to come across the term “invention.” Most news outlets use “invention” when reporting on a new product being created, and this is often taken for granted. However, are these products truly an “invention”?

❇️ In contrast, “invention” and “innovation” are defined as follows:

   💎 Invention is the discovery of an objective existence of a natural object, phenomenon, or law that humans did not previously know.

   💎 Innovation is a technical solution in the form of a product or process aimed at solving a specific problem through the application of natural laws (as defined in the Intellectual Property Law of 2005).

❓So, have these news outlets used the term “invention” correctly? Is the mainstream media becoming too careless with its choice of words?

💖 Faced with this situation, IP Group continually strives to fulfill its mission as a leading consultancy, training, and knowledge provider related to innovation, invention, and intellectual property in Vietnam.

💢 Near-sightedness and far-sightedness are two common eye conditions that can bring considerable challenges to those who have them. For older individuals, dealing with both of these conditions simultaneously can be even more problematic. Of course, using two pairs of glasses simultaneously is an inconvenient and less than ideal solution.

💡 The MWF eyeglass model by Vixion (Japan) was developed to address these issues. The MWF eyeglasses work based on integrated sensors that can automatically adjust the focal point of the lenses to match what the wearer is observing, allowing for clearer vision at most distances. This promises to provide a more convenient way for individuals to see.

❣️ While still in the testing phase, MWF eyeglasses hold the potential to offer new hope to those dealing with near-sightedness and far-sightedness when they become commercially available.

🔎 In the realm of research focused on addressing the simultaneous presence of near-sightedness and far-sightedness, a group of inventors from Naikan University (China) also developed an invention called “Adjustable Spherical Lens for Correcting Far-Sightedness and Near-Sightedness.” This invention was granted a patent in China on December 18, 2013, with patent number CN102662252A. Although it shares the same objective as Vixion’s MWF eyeglasses, this invention relies on wavefront technology and physiological eye data. It creates an individualized eye model based on the actual optical characteristics of a person’s eyes by measuring wavefront aberration and eye axis data in reality, combining the Liou ideal human eye model and using optical design software (as cited from the patent abstract CN 102662252A).

💎 IP Group always provides valuable information and dedicated advice on inventions and exclusive patent registrations.

💎 Industrial property rights are one of the categories of intellectual property rights and are defined as follows: “Industrial property rights are the rights of organizations and individuals to inventions, industrial designs, integrated circuit layout designs, trademarks, trade names, geographical indications, trade secrets created by themselves or owned by them, and the rights to combat unfair competition.” (Article 4, Law on Intellectual Property of 2005).

🌟 Understanding industrial property rights is an essential step for businesses to build, enhance their value, and protect their sustainable development.

💕 Recognizing the importance of this, IP Group is committed to providing advice and training to help establish and protect industrial property rights, allowing businesses to continuously increase their value and create more value for the community.

Nguyen Thi Dieu Hien, a female student from Dong Thap province in Vietnam, who is currently a 12th-grade student at Phu Thanh A High School, has successfully researched and produced lipstick made from lotus flowers. Prior to this, in 2021, Hien’s project won second prize in a startup competition organized by the Department of Education and Training and also a second prize in an innovation and creativity startup competition organized by the Dong Thap Youth Union.

🌸 Hien’s idea originated from her love and passion for the lotus flower, which is not only Vietnam’s national flower but also a symbol of her hometown, Dong Thap. Therefore, her lotus lipstick product has both practical value, appealing to consumers who love natural products, and symbolic value representing her hometown.

⁉ Despite having many values and development potential, does Hien’s product meet the criteria for patentability as an invention?

   💎 Hien’s lotus lipstick product shares similarities with Chinese patent CN108113905 by Zhang Xiong. The key difference is that Zhang Xiong’s patent uses lotus flower essential oil, whereas Hien grinds lotus flowers into powder and combines them with olive oil, jojoba oil, and others.

   💎 However, there are still many inventions related to cosmetics and lotus-based lipsticks worldwide. Therefore, to develop her lotus lipstick product into a patentable invention, Hien may need professional research and consultation to ensure that her invention is novel and does not overlap with existing global databases.

🌟 IP Group is a place that provides interesting and useful information about inventions.

⚡️ After creating a technically feasible solution that meets the three conditions of an invention: novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability, what should be done to register a patent for that invention with the Intellectual Property Office?

1. Check the registration feasibility.
2. Write the patent description and submit the application.
3. Formal examination of the application.
4. Publish the application.
5. Substantive examination of the application.
6. Issuance of the patent.

✨ IP Group, with its highly competent and experienced team, is always dedicated to assisting clients in registering patents smoothly. Additionally, we collaborate with clients to research and validate their ideas, transforming “raw ideas” into “good ideas” and ensuring successful patent registration.

📌 Initially gaining a foothold in the U.S. semiconductor market by supplying exclusive NAND flash memory for iPods, Samsung gradually evolved into a top brand in the Android smartphone operating system and became the direct rival of the iPhone in the smartphone market.

❓What does Samsung have to outperform long-established competitors in the market?

☑ With the advantage of a portfolio of patents, after being accused by Apple of copyright infringement, Samsung quickly counter-sued, alleging the infringement of their 5 patents, and regained the upper hand.

☑ Additionally, with superior hardware manufacturing capabilities and innovation in advertising and marketing, Samsung managed to surpass other competitors and directly compete with Apple in just 18 months.

🔆 The competitor that Samsung has not yet surpassed – Apple, is the “patent king,” and it is precisely the exclusive patents that have propelled Samsung to its current position. This rivalry is even implicitly acknowledged in Samsung’s corporate culture. Samsung employees are reminded of their mission at all times: Take a bite of the apple (Defeat Apple).

💖 Samsung’s success story demonstrates the immense power of exclusive patents in manufacturing and business. It also shows that the fastest way to develop is to aim for the strongest competitor.

💢 Plant protection products have always been a challenging issue in agriculture for health and the environment.

❎ Although there have been many studies and promotions of the use of biological products in plant protection instead of chemical pesticides, it seems that this issue has not shown promising signs in Vietnam.

🌟 A group of students from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, including Quach Phong Dat, Le Thi Tuyet Nhi, and Phan Thi Tuong Vy, used five-leaf lucky tree leaves and pineapple leaves to create a liquid extract to combat the harmful cotton bollworm larvae on mustard greens. Their goal is to partially alleviate the environmental burden and protect human health from chemical pesticides.

🎯 This invention contributes to increasing the availability of biological plant protection products, environmental protection, and human health. However, this product still needs further investment and research expansion to test its practical application.

💕 Biological plant protection products need to be developed both in terms of quantity and quality to completely replace chemical pesticides and protect the environment and human health. Vietnam can use this approach to develop sustainable agriculture.

[Nguyen Tat Thanh University]

📌 On June 5, 2022, Mr. Ngo Dac Thuan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of IP Group, participated in teaching at the training session “Enhancing Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Digital Transformation Capabilities in the Pharmaceutical Industry” at Nguyen Tat Thanh University. The topic of his lecture was “Invention, Intellectual Property Assets in Innovation, Research & Development in the Pharmaceutical Field.”

💡 This topic provided faculty and students at the Faculty of Pharmacy at Nguyen Tat Thanh University with knowledge about innovation and intellectual property that can be applied in the pharmaceutical industry. As a result, the faculty and students at the university have experienced a change in their research mindset, promising to create projects and inventions that bring value to the university and the community.

💖 IP Group has been a steadfast partner of Nguyen Tat Thanh University in innovation and entrepreneurship activities for the past 5 years and is committed to continuing this strong collaboration in the future.

Hugo Dinh, a Vietnamese engineer, has successfully created hearing aids that can diagnose and remotely monitor epilepsy patients in collaboration with his team.

🔎 The invention may look like a regular set of headphones, but it actually incorporates electroencephalogram (EEG) sensors. In addition to the silicon earbud acting as a conductor, the device contains a very small “black box” that houses the EEG data collection system, signal processing software, and biometric recognition.

✨ Thanks to this technology, the device can detect signs of epilepsy, enabling remote diagnosis without the need for a hospital visit. Artificial intelligence (AI) is used to analyze this data, helping doctors make accurate diagnoses and choose the most appropriate treatment methods. The breakthrough lies in the high-precision brain wave measurement, ensuring accurate epilepsy diagnosis.

🎯 AI technology has rapidly been applied in almost all fields worldwide. To keep pace with this development, Vietnam needs to further invest in research and innovation, especially in AI, to facilitate the application in solving technical issues more efficiently.