This work owes its origin to the Singapore IP Academy, which was established in January 2003 as a result of a national initiative. Acknowledging the value and importance of intellectual assets and creativity as primary sources of wealth and competitive advantage, the broad objective of IP Academy is to contribute to the building of a thriving culture that encourages the management and harnessing of innovation, and the resultant IP rights for the achievement of success in this global, knowledge-driven economy. Although at present it is largely funded by the Singapore Government, it is an independent body.

Professor Gerald Dworkin and Associate Professor Loy Wee Loon were IP Academy's founding directors from January 2003 to December 2004. They have been succeeded by Professor David Llewelyn as director and Ms. Ng Lyn as deputy director.

One aspect of the IP Academy's work is training. A broad range of courses, of varying lengths, are being provided for all those who can benefit from an understanding of intellectual property. At one extreme are university-based courses. For example, the Graduate Certificate in Intellectual Property provides a foundation course suitable for those seeking to qualify as registered patent agents in Singapore, and the MSc in IP Management is targeted at mid to senior management, executives and professionals with a background in science, technology or engineering who wish to specialize in the management of IP in a technology-related business.