IFIA General Assembly Report – Thirty-Sixth Session

Agendas
1-Opening of the session
2-Election of IFIA Exco candidates: IFIA Committee Members (2021-2022)
3-Report of IFIA’s activities and financial reports from 01.10.2019 to 31.10.2021
4-Review of IFIA President election and president candidates criteria for 2022-2026
5-Review of IFIA Exco election for 2022 to 2024
6-Preparation of General Assembly meeting 2022
7-IFIA members propose
8-Closing of the session

IFIA General Assembly, Thirty-sixth session hosted by iENA, was organized on Friday, 05 November 2021 in Messe Nürnberg,  Hall 10 , ATHEN Room from 10 am to 12 pm with the participation of 48 members.

The meeting was opened by welcomed to the participating members by President, Mr. Alireza Rastegar, and thanked the iENA organizers for hosting the event.

The meeting was chaired by IFIA’s president and two IFIA directors, Prof.Dr.Michal Szota and Mr. Zoran Barisic.

42 nominees for IFIA Executive Committee were presented and General Assembly members were requested to elect 25 members and cast their votes, and present votes to the IFIA directors to act according to IFIA Statutes.

Then IFIA Directors counted the votes and it was announced that 25 candidates were admitted as IFIA Executive Committee members for the period of 2021-2021 within the following details: 

1- Brazil – International Brazil Innovative Inventors, Scientist and Entrepreneur, Mr. Marcelo Vivacqua
2- China – China Association of Inventions (CAI), Mr. Xuan Zengpei
3- Croatia – Union of Croatian Innovators, Mr. Zaran Barisic
4- Czech Republic – Czech Union of Inventors and Rationalizers, Mr. Mr. Lukas Zmeskal 
5- Egypt – Egyptian Council for Creativity, Innovation Protection, Mr. Mahmoud A Hafez
6- Germany – German inventors Association “DEV”, Mr. Winfried Sturm
7- Iceland – Iceland Inventors Association, Mrs. Elinora Inga Sigurdardottir
8- India – Indian Innovators Association, Dr. Aynampudi Subbarao
9- Indonesia – Indonesian Invention and Innovation Promotion Association, Mrs. Megaria Agustina
10- Iran – First Institute Inventors and Researchers in Iran, Mr. Hossein Vaezi Ashtiani
11- Iraq – Iraqi Society of Inventors and Innovators, Mrs. Traiza Jasim Ridha
12- Korea – Korea Invention Promotion Association, Mr. Hyo Jeon
13- Lebanon – National Association for Science and Research, Dr. Radwan Chouaib
14- Morocco – OFFED, Mr. Majid Elbouazzaoui
15- Poland – Association of Polish Inventors and Rationalizers “SPWiR”, Mrs. Agnieszka Mikołajska
16- Portugal – Inventarium Science, Mr. Fernando Lopes
17- Qatar- Agri-Green Foundation, Mr. Adnan Al Naimi
18- Romania – Romanian Inventors Forum, Dr. Andrei Victor Sandu
19- Russia – Moscow Public City Organization of All Russian Society of Inventors, Mr. Dmitry Zezuylin
20- South Africa – Institute of Inventors and Innovators, Mr. Kenneth Hawksworth
21- Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka Inventors Commission, Prof. Rangika Halwatura
22- Thailand – Association of Thai Innovation and Invention Promotion, Assoc. Prof. Dr.Unchalee Sanguanpong
23- Turkey – Anatolian Inventions and Inventors Association, Mr. Koray Sahin
24- Ukraine – Junior Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Dr. Yevhen Kudriavets
25- USA – United Inventor Association (UIA), Mr. John J. Calvert

Also, IFIA President suggested Mr. Winfried Sturm as a new IFIA Director and all of the members accepted this suggestion without any negative vote.

IFIA activity report covering the period from 2020 to 2021 was presented informing the members about the projects undertaken to boost IFIA’s performance in the area of commercialization, patent protection, and promotion of clean technologies. It gained the approval of General Assembly members while appreciating the initiatives taken by IFIA President to develop IFIA at an international level.

Next, the financial report from 01.10.2019 to 31.10.2021 was provided by IFIA Treasurer, Mr. Hossein Vaezi Ashtiani and approved by the General Assembly members.

Criteria for the new president’s personality:

1. Who can well represent an international NGO as like the IFIA
2. International prestige
3. International acceptance
4. IFIA work background
5. Inventor activity (it is indicated by espacenet database)
6. Innovation activity (valuable results on world market)
7. Good English writing and speaking
8. NGO leadership practice
9. Support of the IFIA organization in own country
10. Guarantee for financial support for IFIA office by Governmental site (At least Five Hundred Thousand US Dollars Per Year)

The submitting application for the IFIA presidency candidates starts in February 2022 and will be announced to all IFIA members by the IFIA Secretariat.

IFIA Executive Committee nominates shall meet the following criteria:

1. Willingness and ability to afford the time and resources required for IFIA work
2. Possess the knowledge and capacity to contribute to IFIA’s mission and strategy
3. Possess enough experience and knowledge about IFIA activities
4. Participate strongly in IFIA activities and meetings
5. His/Her association must be a member of IFIA
6. Inventor activity (it is indicated by espacenet database)
7. Innovation activity (valuable results on world market)
8. Good English writing and speaking

The submitting application for the IFIA executive committee starts in February 2022 and will be announced to all IFIA members by the IFIA Secretariat.

The venue of the IFIA General Assembly 2022 was approved by a majority of members to be held in Nuremberg, Germany, alongside iENA international invention fair in November 2022.

The first proposal was presented by Eng. Ahmed Abdullah Majjan from UAE Inventors Association. He presented UAE Inventors Association activities in the area of inventions and innovations and requested to join IFIA as a full member from the United Arab Emirates and his membership request was approved by a majority of vote by IFIA GA.

The second proposal was presented by the new president of The Swedish Inventor’s Association (SUF), Mr. Jan-Erik Nowacki. He presented SUF activities in the area of inventions and innovations and requested to re-join IFIA as a full member from the Swiden and his membership request was approved by a majority of vote by IFIA GA.

Next, Malaysia Innovation Association (MIA) request was presented by the IFIA President, which was received by IFIA Secretariat in September 2021.
MIA requested to join IFIA as a corresponding member from Malaysia and after reviewing relevant documents, all GA members voted to Malaysia Innovation Association (MIA) to become IFIA Corresponding Member.

Likewise Sensifai bvba request was presented by the IFIA President, which was received by IFIA Secretariat in November 2021.

Sensifai bvba requested to join IFIA as a Full Member from Belgium and after reviewing relevant documents, all GA members voted to Sensifai bvba to become IFIA Full Member.

Finally, Mr. Husein Hujic’s proposal was raised by IFIA director, Mr. Zoran Barisic and the results concerning his proposal were considered by the members as follows:

1. IFIA Vice-President/s

According to IFIA Statutes, ARTICLE 11 The President and such person(s) as Directors, Secretary(ies), Treasurer and any other person the President deems necessary shall constitute IFIA Secretariat.

2. Question about North Macedonia to become Executive Committee Candidate

The IFIA Secretariat has not received any formal request from North Macedonia in this regard.

3. Question about the Republic of Serbia

Serbia has been an official member of IFIA since many years ago as well as the membership Serbia was published on IFIA old website in the below link:

http://www.invention-ifia.ch/countrie1.htm

3.1. Updating sites of national associations

IFIA announces at the beginning of each year to all members to provide any modification and updating info to IFIA’s secretariat for change and publish on the member’s page.
Therefore all IFIA members have obligate to send their activities and updating information to IFIA’s secretariat at the beginning of each year.

4. Case of “Dr. Mladen Karic”

In the meeting, Mr. Mladen Karik announce that he has been nominated by the President of Belgrade Association of Inventors, Mr. Djuro Borak (IFIA Full Member from Serbia) as a candidate for the Executive Committee, and according to the statute, the IFIA full members can nominate the person to IFIA as an executive committee candidate.

The meeting ended with taking a memorial group photo of the participant’s members.