26 Jan 2022

The Ministry of Tertiary Education Research Science and Technology will host the third annual IP Summer School from January 31 to February 4, this year to advance IP training and practice.

In a recent interview, acting Director of Research Science and Technology (DRST), Mr Oabona Monngakgotla said the ministry decided to host the IP Summer School to capacitate the general public, research and technology institutions as well as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) on IP science and management, after the realization that not much was known on the subject.

He said the summer school would be hosted in two different venues, Kasane on January 31, for official opening, followed by IP training and practicals on February 1, while the second assembly will be held in Maun from February 3-4, 2022.

The training will be delivered through a partnership between Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI), Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub (BDIH), Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA), and Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), Mr Monngakgotla stated.

He said the partners would pool their expertise and resources together to comprehensively unpack IP science and management to the audience.

Mr Monngakgotla said the objectives of the training include raising awareness on the protection of IP needs; avoidance of infringement; provision of guidance on how to exploit the creative potential of enterprises through commercialisation, and to assist on how to complete forms required to file for names at CIPA.

He revealed that the training will run alongside CEOs’ panel discussions themed: ‘Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) as a catalyst for business success’.

He said lack of knowledge on IP was worrisome, especially now that the government was promoting a knowledge-based economy.

Mr Monngakgotla revealed that a lot of innovation and research for business development purposes has been taking place lately, as such a lot of intellectual property had been generated, which need proper management for economic gain.

He said the business facet portrayed low hanging fruits of IP, especially in elements such as trademarks and names of companies that people could use to enhance and add value to the service they were rendering.

Mr Monngakgotla stated that one good example of IP infringement and exploitation emanated from school emblems used by printing and distribution companies that do not share proceeds made with respective schools, yet the value of the commodity sold would have escalated.

He therefore said it was necessary to make people aware of what they were doing, how to manage it, and consequently, how to use it to add value to their everyday business services and products.  

Monngakgotla said for the training, they would embrace and use local products as opposed to international brands, to avoid marginalising indigenous creatives or products.

He added that they had set themselves a target to profile all participants throughout the years to conduct follow-ups and ensure that IP management within businesses was upheld.

Mr Monngakgotla highlighted that due to COVID-19 health protocols, they would not be able to take many people, however, they would share a link through their social media and other platforms for people to attend the training online. This year’s theme is: ‘IP for business success’. ENDS