Ken-Ichiro Natsume

Ken-Ichiro Natsume

Mr. Natsume has been the Assistant Director General, Infrastructure and Platforms Sector, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) since January 2021.

His portfolio includes frontier technologies such as AI, databases, classifications, standards, digital solutions for intellectual property offices, as well as customer experience, marketing, and digital engagement. Prior to his current role, he was the Senior Director of PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) Legal and International Affairs Department, the Director of PCT International Cooperation Division, as well as the Head of the WIPO Japan Office.

Before joining WIPO, he served with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Permanent Mission of Japan to Geneva, and at the Japan Patent Office, where he played a leading role in various international intellectual property negotiations and debates including WIPO, WTO/TRIPS, WHO and CBD. At the Japan Patent Office, he also worked as a patent examiner specializing in image and information processing.

He was also a visiting researcher at California Institute of Technology.

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  • Organization
    World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
  • Profession
    Assistant Director-General
Related sessions
In person & online
8 July 2026
16:15 - 16:45
EST - New York
CST - Beijing
PST - Los Angeles
AWST - Perth, Australia
In personAI and partnerships
30 May 2024
12:30 - 14:00
EST - New York
CST - Beijing
PST - Los Angeles
AWST - Perth, Australia

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