giovanni napolitano

Giovanni Napolitano

Director of IP and Competition Policy, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)

Giovanni Napolitano graduated in economics in 1985 and received his Master’s Degree in Science and Technology Policy from the Science Policy Research Unit (University of Sussex, UK) in 1987. After 7 years spent at the Italian National Research Council working on science policy matters, he joined the Italian Competition Authority in 1994. He worked there in different capacities, first handling investigations in the communications, transport and pharmaceutical sectors and then holding managerial positions as director of the Authority’s Secretariat and of the International Affairs Department. In November 2010, he joined the Intellectual Property and Competition Policy Division of the World Intellectual Property Organization (United Nations) where he worked on policy issues concerning the IP/Competition interface. Between 2015 and 2017, he was Director of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Entrepreneurship Support Division. Between June 2018 and March 2021, he was Deputy-Director and then Director of the Transition and Developed Countries Department. Since March 2021, he is Director of IP and Competition Policy.