ARIPO
hosted a delegation from the University of Nairobi consisting of Professor Mary
Kinoti, Director of Innovation and Intellectual Property Management, and Mr. John Maina, Innovation and Intellectual
Property Management Officer. They visited ARIPO from 16 to 19 July 2024 to
learn about the ARIPO IP Registration System and explore a capacity-building
partnership to support the University of Nairobi’s Intellectual Property (IP)
commercialization initiatives.
During
the visit, they were familiarized with the ARIPO registration system, including
the procedures for filing patent applications under the Harare Protocol and
trademark applications under the Banjul Protocol. They also learned about the
ARIPO Search Services. The visit concluded with a tour of the University of
Zimbabwe’s Research and Innovation Hub.
Mr. Ben Mulenga, Director of Finance, welcomed the Delegation to the ARIPO Secretariat on behalf of the Director General. Mr. Mulenga expressed gratitude to the Delegation and stressed the importance of universities and higher learning institutions collaborating
with ARIPO to enhance their IP Management.
Despite
universities generating 90% of knowledge, there is a low number of IP
applications filed in comparison to this knowledge. Additionally, Africa needs
to catch up in IP rights, with less than 0.06% of patents originating from the
continent. Lack of awareness of the IP system and professional assistance also results
in the underutilization of the IP system, particularly by small and
medium-sized enterprises.
In
addressing the low level of IP awareness, ARIPO conducts training and
capacity-building programs to enhance the strategic use of IP rights in its
Member States. Through collaboration with its member states, ARIPO conducts
awareness and outreach seminars to educate various stakeholders on intellectual
property protection. In addition, the ARIPO Academy provides training programs,
including Master’s Degrees in Intellectual Property, offered in collaboration
with Africa University in Zimbabwe, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology in Ghana, and the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
Furthermore,
ARIPO, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),
supports Member States in establishing Technology and Innovation Support
Centres (TISCs). These centres facilitate access to specialized databases, user
training, provision of IP information and training materials, and support
awareness-raising activities.
The visit by the delegation from the University of Nairobi concluded with the institutions committing to further collaboration in intellectual property matters. ARIPO reiterated its commitment to supporting universities and research institutions on issues of capacity building and the development of institutional IP policies to promote effective management of IP assets.