The National University of Science and Technology’s TechnoPark department is currently hosting the Intellectual Property (IP) Roving Seminar for Academic and Research institutions held at the university’s Ceremonial Hall.
The two day workshop themed “Fostering Creativity and Innovation for Economic Growth and Development in Africa” started yesterday, the 26th of March. The main purpose of the workshop is to promote the use of IP systems within the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) member states.
IP refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce. Speakers at the workshop highlighted how the lack of IP awareness stifles the economic development of countries in the Africa.
“Africa is faced with many challenges that impact negatively on creativity and innovation,” the director general of ARIPO, Mr Fernando Dos Santos said, “Such challenges include lack of IP expertise, lack of relevant IP policies and legal frameworks that can incentivise researchers and inventors to be creative and innovative in generating IP.” “Such creativity and innovation can result in creating employment and business that subsequently contribute to economic development,” he added.
Ms Melody Tanga, the Principal Examiner from Zimbabwe Intellectual Property Office (ZIPO), went on to educate participants on how the utilisation of IP system benefits the economic development of countries. “It has become a well-known factor that IP does contribute immensely to our national economies. In the business sector most industries now do rely on the adequate enforcement of their patents, trademarks and copyrights, while on the hand, consumers rely on IP to ensure that they are purchasing safe and reliable products,” said Ms Melody Tanga.
The first day of the workshop, organised by ARIPO and ZIPO in cooperation with NUST, deliberated on the ARIPO registration system, basic principles of patent drafting and usefulness of Patent Information in Research and Development.Day 2 of the workshop is deliberating on fostering use and exploitation of IP in universities, commercialisation of university research results and recent research achievements of NUST. From last year ARIPO has been partnering with academic and research institutions in its member states to conduct seminars on IP. The on-going Seminar is the first one to be held this year and the fifth to be held since the inception of organising such seminars.
The first day of the workshop, organised by ARIPO and ZIPO in cooperation with NUST, deliberated on the ARIPO registration system, basic principles of patent drafting and usefulness of Patent Information in Research and Development.Day 2 of the workshop is deliberating on fostering use and exploitation of IP in universities, commercialisation of university research results and recent research achievements of NUST. From last year ARIPO has been partnering with academic and research institutions in its member states to conduct seminars on IP. The on-going Seminar is the first one to be held this year and the fifth to be held since the inception of organising such seminars.