Greetings from the Chairman of the Board of Directors

Since its establishment in 1985, the Industrial Property Cooperation Center (IPCC) has supported Japan’s vision of becoming an “Intellectual Property Nation.” We first served as a designated search organization under the Special Law* and, following the law’s revision, as a registered search organization.
More than 20 years have passed since then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi declared “Intellectual Property Nation” as a national strategy in 2002. During this time, we have addressed challenges such as achieving the FA11 goal (an 11-month period to the first office action) and realizing the world’s fastest and highest-quality IP system. Through prior art searches, patent classification, and other essential tasks, IPCC has consistently fulfilled its mission to support the foundation of Japan’s intellectual property system.

Today, technological progress—exemplified by generative AI—continues to accelerate, making inventions more sophisticated and complex, and reshaping the environment around intellectual property and industry. In response, and to seize new opportunities for growth, we introduced a new management philosophy in 2025, our 40th anniversary year. This philosophy reaffirms our mission of “contributing to the Intellectual Property Nation,” defines our role as “supporting innovation through the visualization of IP,” and places strong emphasis on our most important asset: people.
Our experts include many former engineers and researchers from leading Japanese companies, bringing deep knowledge and practical experience across diverse technical fields. With this expertise, IPCC provides specialized services such as prior art searches and patent classification. We continue to grow as a professional organization that “advances in step with technological progress.”

In addition to services for the Japan Patent Office, we offer “IPCC Search Services” for companies, universities, and other institutions. These include “Specific Registration Searches,” “Prior Art Searches” such as pre-filing searches, and “Invalidation Searches.” Through these services, we share the expertise and know-how we have built over decades.

As a trusted part of Japan’s intellectual property infrastructure, all of us at IPCC remain committed to our mission. We look forward to your continued support and cooperation.

*Act on Special Exceptions to Procedures, etc. Concerning Industrial Property Rights