WIPO-ARIPO Regional Meeting on the Development of a Regional Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) Network
July 3, 2024
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in collaboration with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), held a regional meeting on June 6 and 7, 2024 with support from Funds-In-Trust Japan Industrial Property Global.
The objective of the meeting was to strengthen the TISC Regional Network of ARIPO member states by fostering an exchange of experiences, best practices and sharing of resources within the region to build skills and knowledge on accessing technology found in patent and scientific and technical literature as a foundation for South-South cooperation.
About the meeting
The Regional Meeting was opened by Mr. Pierre Runiga, Acting Director General of ARIPO on behalf of Mr. Bemanya Twebaze, Director General of ARIPO, as well as Mr. Hiroyuki Kumagai, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Japan in Zimbabwe, and Mr. Andrew Czajkowski, Director, Technology and Innovation Support Division, WIPO.
The 23 representatives of TISC focal points came from 20 ARIPO member states (of a total 22) and from three observer states (Ethiopia, Mauritius and Nigeria) participated and shared their recent developments and challenges. The meeting focused on the following issues in particular:
- recent developments in WIPO’s TISC global program activities and resources;
- a review of national TISC networks in ARIPO member states;
- building an integrated innovation ecosystems in and amongst member states; and
- a review and update of agreed actionable points on awareness-raising, capacity-building, infrastructure and information resources, policy development, and governance.
The meeting was interactive and productive in reinforcing the framework of cooperation between member states, ARIPO and WIPO, as well as establishing and maintaining contacts at a personal level.