13 Feb 2018

Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Development official Mr Vincent Rapoo has called on research institutions to formulate Intellectual Property (IP) and Technology transfer policies.

Addressing researchers among them the student community, during the Intellectual Property workshop held at Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Mr Rapoo said it is critical for research institutions such as BIUST to protect researches and innovations undertaken by its staff and students. 

He said patenting researches and innovations prevented others from commercially using patented invention without authority. 

Patent protection is the legal protection given by the state to an inventor for a limited period of time in exchange of the disclosure of the invention to the public. 

He said these exclusive rights, reduced competition and helped the inventor to establish themselves in the market as the pre-eminent player. 

Mr Rapoo said IP could be used as a tool to develop, grow and diversify the economy, adding that if well managed IP could generate a lot of income just like diamonds. 

He said the government intended transforming the economy into a knowledge based economy that focused on innovation and business sophistication, hence research institutions like BIUST, BITRI, BUAN should provide that platform. 

He said universities should provide advise and mostly by producing an IP policy which includeed issues of invention and innovation. 

He advised that researches undertaken should remain relevant to the country, adding that the country should get positive returns from research and development. 

He also noted that the problem in the country was that researches are more academic and do not address local problems. 

Another challenge he pointed is that of duplication of academic programmes in both private and public institutions. 

He challenged researchers to come up with researches and innovations that could address local problems, adding that the country was grappling with a high import bill thus it was upon researchers to help the government reduce it through research and development. 

Touching on indigenous knowledge, he said it should be documented in the appropriate form and eventually protected as an IP. 

He said some indigenous knowledge and technology was lost because of secrecy obligations imposed on knowledge holders. Ends