Watkin's Noble venture will advise on IPR

Apr 29 2009 by Chris Knox, The Journal

SERIAL entrepreneur Karl Watkin is set to launch a number of new businesses in China after setting up an intellectual property rights (IPR) advice service in one of the country’s fastest growing regional economies.

The North East entrepreneur, who has done business in China for over 30 years, decided to set up new enterprise Noble House after realising that many Chinese firms were falling victim of intellectual property theft due to a lack of understanding of IPR rights.

The business, which is being run by his son Jake Watkin, has been launched in partnership with the Chongqing Municipal Government, which recently announced that it will begin to robustly protect international IPR rights for those companies wishing to relocate to the area.

The new venture will also have a particular focus on the development of a low carbon economy in the region, which is expected to defy the effects of the global economic downturn by growing by around 6% this year.

Mr Watkin also said that he was looking to launch a number of businesses in the region over the coming months to benefit from its rapid growth and immunity from the global recession. These will include a series of estate agencies as well as a firm based in the region’s financial services sector, with a number of other projects to be announced in June. Noble House is already spreading its remit by sponsoring a seminar in Chongqing during the visit of London Mayor Boris Johnson June 5, which will discuss issues including finance for scaling up low carbon technologies and investment in renewable energy sources.