CI-NEWS

MINMIDT and partners strive to valorise intellectual property in Universities and Research Centers.

2019-10-28

No: 453

MINMIDT and partners strive to valorise intellectual property in Universities and Research Centers.

By Fonban Emmanuel.

The Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development-MINMIDT, with its technical partners last week organised a workshop in Yaounde, under the banner of the Intellectual Property week as part of Cameroon’s efforts to make a positive shift in intellectual property. The 2-day workshop was intended to elaborate institutional policies on intellectual property in universities and research centers.

The opening ceremony of the workshop took place at Djeuga Palace Hotel on Monday, 21 October 2019 and was presided over by the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, Dr.Fuh Calistus Gentry.

It should be noted that the Intellectual Property week was instituted by the World Intellectual Property Organisations with the aim of building attraction of stakeholders on the paramount and strategic role of the Intellectual property system in socioeconomic and cultural development of countries.

In his opening speech Dr.Fuh Calistus expressed gratitude to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the African Intellectual Property Organisation known by its French acronym OAPI, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation-ARIPO and the Japan Patent Office, for changing international dynamics for the better implementation of intellectual property in Cameroon.

However, the technical support of the Japanese government motivated by its diplomatic ties with Cameroon has been enormous as recognised by the Secretary of State at MINMIDT in his interview with the press during the opening ceremony.

“I will like to thank the government of Japan for the enormous technical and financial assistance which is meant to exploit the research of university works and research centers in order to convert it to commercial ventures”, said Dr. Fuh Calistus.

The support of the government of Japan, beyond diplomacy, is encouraged by the Tokyo International Conference on African Development from whose fruits Cameroon is benefitting. The government of Japan is therefore a partner to Cameroon when it comes to intellectual property in areas of technology in which they stand as experts with greater achievements.

“As I mentioned in my speech the Japanese government is very committed in the enforcement and protection of intellectual property in Africa by way of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development. We are supporting the barest number or measures in Africa financially and politically”, said Koji Mitzumoto, the Representative of the Japanese Ambassador to Cameroon and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Japanese Embassy.

He added that the protection of intellectual property is a precondition for Japan to make more foreign investments and equally for national development.

To Dr. Fuh Calistus, the support of the Japanese government and other initiatives will empower individual initiatives which turn to inventions, to be transformed from prototypes to commercial assets which can be industrialised.

The fate of this is that universities and research centers will no longer park prototypes in their stores and laboratories but will continuously seek ways to industrialise them.

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MINMIDT and partners strive to valorise intellectual property in Universities and Research Centers.