The International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA) was established during the first International Inventors Conference held on 11 July 1968 in London. This event marked the beginning of effective international cooperation between national inventors' associations. Representatives from seven countries Denmark, Finland, West Germany, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland came together to form this federation.

Mr. Harald, Director of the Swedish Inventions Office, along with Mr. Leif Nordstrand, played pivotal roles in laying the groundwork for this international body. The initial statutes were drafted on 27 June 1968, circulated among members, and subsequently approved during the General Assembly meeting.

Mr. W.A. Richardson, chairman of the British Institute of Patentees and Inventors, was elected as the first President of IFIA. The vice presidents included Dr. F. Burmester (West Germany), S. Green (Great Britain), F. Pfaffli (Switzerland), and H. Romanus (Sweden).

The IFIA Secretariat was opened at 207 Abbey House, 2-8 Victoria Street, Westminster, London, with Mr. A. L. T. Cotterell as its Secretary.

To commemorate the inauguration, the council of the Institute of Patentees and Inventors hosted a dinner at the Hotel Café Royal in London. The first IFIA bulletin was published in September 1968, outlining the federation's objectives.

In 1984, IFIA, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), organized its first international symposium on inventors' issues at WIPO headquarters in Geneva.