This Week in Washington IP: Commercial Diplomacy, the State of the Global Economy, and STEM Education

This week in Washington IP news, Congress is still on a state work period, but events continue in the Washington area as the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) holds a STEM educational event for K-12 students and their families. Elsewhere, the Brookings Institution will hear from U.S. Treasury Undersecretary Jay Shambaugh about the state of the global economy.

Monday, April 10

Brookings Institution

The state of the global economy: A conversation with US Treasury Undersecretary Jay Shambaugh

At 2:00 PM on Monday, Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue N.W., Washington, DC and online livestream

On Monday, Brookings is hosting Jay Shambaugh, undersecretary for international affairs at the Treasury Department, to discuss the global economic outlook as well as financial stability and geopolitical dynamics. Shambaugh will deliver a keynote address, and then he will be joined by the vice president and director of the Global Economy and Development program, Brahima S. Coulibaly to talk about the greatest current economic challenges. This moderated discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A.

Tuesday, April 11

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Revitalizing American Commercial Diplomacy Conference

At 9:00 AM on Tuesday at CSIS Headquarters and online livestream

On Tuesday, politicians, current and former ambassadors, and business leaders will discuss the growing importance of commercial diplomacy at this half-day conference. Commercial diplomacy is described as “coordinated efforts to help American companies successfully market their goods and services abroad.” After introductory remarks, the first panel will talk about the importance of commercial diplomacy and where the United States should focus its efforts. The second panel will advocate for the Championing American Business Through Diplomacy Act (CABDA) and will include Rep. Colin Allred, (D-TX).

American Enterprise Institute

The Future of Medical Device Regulation: The Final Frontier

At 2:00 PM on Tuesday, AEI Auditorium and online livestream

On Tuesday, attendees of this event will hear opening remarks from Jesse Ehrenfeld, president-elect of the American Medical Association, on potential reforms to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory and clinical practice that could unleash disruptive innovation in the medical device sector. Ehrenfeld will then be joined by Jeff Shuren, Director of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration for a moderated discussion. The panel will discuss how artificial intelligence and automation could play a large role in medical device innovation in the coming years.

Wednesday, April 12

United States Patent and Trademark Office

Noche de Ciencias “Night of Science” STEM event

At 5:30 PM on Wednesday at USPTO Headquarters 600 Dulany St., Alexandria, VA

On Wednesday, the USPTO Office of Education and the USPTO chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers are hosting this event in collaboration with Alexandria City Public Schools. At Noche de Ciencias, K-12 students and families will learn about STEM subjects through hands-on learning. The USPTO is expecting to draw a crowd of over 500 participants.

Thursday, April 13

United States Patent and Trademark Office

The Path to a Patent, Part II: Drafting provisional patent applications

At 2:00 PM on Thursday, online video webinar

On Thursday, the USPTO is hosting the second part of an eight-part recurring series on acquiring a patent. In this part, experts will discuss the key differences between provisional and nonprovisional patent applications. Attendees will also learn about the filing requirements and fees and the various ways to file a provisional application.