Innovative Frontier: IP and Commercialisation of Research Output for Sustainable Development
Ghana will join other countries to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day on the 26th, of April 2022. This day was designated in 2000 by the Member States under the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) convention to increase the general understanding of intellectual property.
WIPO is a global forum for intellectual property services, policy, information, and cooperation. WIPO’s mission is to lead the development of a balanced and effective international IP system that enables innovation and creativity for the benefit of all. Intellectual Property rights according to WIPO are defined as creations of the human mind. Intellectual property shall include rights relating to literary, artistic and scientific works, performances of performing artists, phonograms and broadcasts, inventions in all fields of human endeavour, scientific discoveries, industrial designs, trademarks, service marks, commercial names and designations, protection against unfair competition, and all other rights resulting from intellectual activity in the industrial, scientific, literary or artistic fields as indicated in Article 2(viii) of the WIPO Convention.
World Intellectual Property Day is an occasion to emphasize the importance of innovation and creativity in determining the development agenda of not just national economies, but also global economies. This day provides an opportunity to recognize Intellectual Property's significant role in the expansion of the arts, music, and technological innovation. Every year, a fresh theme aids member states in planning events to commemorate the day. The theme for this year centres on young people. “IP and youth: Innovating for a Better Future”. The theme recognizes the fundamental role being played by young people in the socio-economic transformation through cutting-edge innovative and creative solutions to existing challenges in society.
This year, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) through the Intellectual Property Unit of the Office of Grants and Research will mark the day under the theme, “Innovative Frontier: IP and commercialisation of research output for sustainable development.”
Intellectual Property is a powerful tool in achieving sustainable development. Academic and research institutions like KNUST have an instrumental role to play in applying research results to address the developmental challenges of a country like Ghana through technology transfer or commercialisation. KNUST is a leading university in Africa and is reputable for technological research. Being a university of academic excellence, KNUST is a centre of knowledge creation, production, and distribution.
Knowledge is produced through painstaking research and development as a product of intellectual activity. This research output can be legally secured through intellectual property protection. The research output like computer programs, architectural drawings, artistic works, brands, inventions, or journal papers can be protected through trademark, copyright, patents, utility models, industrial designs, and trade secrets. These intellectual property products can be exchanged, traded, transferred, licensed, or leased in the market. This is generally referred to as the commercialization of research output.
Through commercialisation, research outputs can create value in the market and support sustainable development. The concept of sustainable development underpins meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future. Suffice to say, the commercialisation of research output can be a tool to achieve sustainable development.
KNUST through rigorous research has made tremendous strides to address development challenges in society related to agriculture, climate change, and health. Inventions have been developed in the aforementioned areas which include drone technology, ventilators, hand sanitisers, intelligent wheelchair, solar-powered vehicles, traffic lights, and egg and waste sorters.
To ensure the commercialisation of such significant research outputs, there are necessary interventions that KNUST will have to undertake including but not limited to, acquiring intellectual property protection, and supporting links with the industry in the process of commercialising research results. This can take different forms like collaboration on research, identification of industry-specific needs and linking the value chain; strengthening the confidence of the industry in applying research findings from the university; supporting the function of the intellectual property and technology transfer units, and support procedures for the transfer of ownership and use of scientific research and technological development results.
Let this day be an occasion to ponder and reflect on how this can be achieved.
The KNUST Intellectual Property Unit under the Office of Grants and research is established to assist you in getting protection and economic returns on your research output. Therefore, the university community is encouraged to read the KNUST IP Policy and disclose any of these properties to IPUK for protection by filling out the Invention Disclosure Form on the OGR (website).
By: Mrs. Eunice Adu Boahen, KNUST Intellectual Property Rights Administrator