The first university in Algeria to create a formal IP policy
University Constantine 3 Salah Boubnider (UC3) has become the first university in Algeria to develop an IP policy in order to increase the likelihood of technology transfer and academic research commercialization. “We realize that intellectual property management plays a significant role in economic development and would like to use its potential for the growth of science, technology and business in Algeria”, said members of the BPO-CATI.
WIPO assisted the University Technology and Information Support Center (TISC) team in the process of creating the policy. The resulting documents (IP policy, IP declaration forms and standard operating procedures) have been approved be the University Scientific Council (USC) on November 3, 2021.
“The support provided by WIPO in drafting the policy has been more than simple assistance: it has been a training from which we have learned a great deal,” said Ms. Nawel Outili, one of the main policy experts in the University. “A true lesson in IP management and in designing a framework for innovation and enhancement of university research outcomes with insight and foresight. The process as a whole has also gathered the different entities within the University of Constantine 3 around a shared objective of technology transfer.”
The interactive process of a formal IP policy development enabled UC3 to clarify its priorities, set up an organizational framework, address ownership and benefit sharing, and foster a culture of collaboration between the different units and organisms.
The research community at the Hashemite University (HU) realized the need of an Institutional Intellectual Property policy (IIP) a few years back, in particular when attempting to collaborate with hi-tech companies.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, academic institutions provided significant input in the process of development of vaccines and COVID-related therapeutics.