On 25 October 2023, the I Congress on “Re-thinking the Paradigms of Law on the Basis of Innovation, Technology and the Economy” featured a keynote by Dr Suelen Carls and Professor Mohamed Amal, examining how Intellectual Property (IP) law and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) interact in Latin America’s evolving landscape. Their presentation emphasised that IP protection is an economic catalyst and a legal and institutional keystone guiding investment decisions and technology transfer. Drawing on their research partnership between Bournemouth University and University of Blumenau, as well as insights from various Latin American contexts, they highlighted how strong and predictable IP regimes can foster sustainable growth, innovation, and investor confidence.

The speakers stressed that IP frameworks in Latin America derive from multiple sources, are not harmonised and most of the times, are not even compatible, so the speakers encouraged strategies like continuous monitoring, stakeholder engagement, and support for smaller producers when it comes to IP matters. Dr Carls and Professor Amal concluded that aligning IP law and FDI policies with broader developmental goals can help shape the region’s more inclusive, innovative, and resilient economic future.