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Introduction
IP and Scientific information has a major role to play in creating a ripe environment for innovation. There are various ways to reaching the goal of an innovative environment and the strategy has to be different for each economy considering its needs and scope for innovation. In April 2009, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) was mandated by its member states to carry out a pilot project to establish Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) within the framework of its Development Agenda. Till date “Technology and Innovation Support Centers” (TISCs) have been established in Algeria, Ecuador, Morocco and Tunisia.
Andrew Czajkowski, Head of Innovation and Technology Support Section at WIPO has played a very important role in developing the platform for TISCs via studies on importance of patent and non-patent literature for innovation. He and his team have been instrumental in execution of the plan to set up TISCs in various LDCs and developing countries.
What are TISCs?
Technology and Innovation Support Centers, or TISCs for short, are designed to provide innovators in developing countries with access to locally based, high quality technology information services and other related services.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) promotes the establishment and development of TISCs under a related project being carried out in cooperation with national and regional industrial property offices within the framework of its Development Agenda.
The project aims to address Recommendation 8 of the Development Agenda, which calls on WIPO to “[facilitate] the national offices of developing countries, especially LDCs, as well as their regional and subregional intellectual property organizations to access specialized databases…”.
The project approved by the WIPO Member States comprises two core clusters of activities, namely:
- Access to specialized databases; and
- Capacity building
Within the context of a joint engagement with national and regional industrial property authorities, WIPO supports the effective operation of TISCs by:
- Facilitating access to databases;
- Training of trainers and local users (on-site and distance learning);
- Providing information and training materials;
- Supporting awareness-raising activities;
- Disseminating best practices and experiences among TISCs.
Services offered
Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) may offer a wide range of different services aimed at assisting small and medium enterprises, university researchers, and others to more fully exploit their innovative potential and to create, protect, and manage their intellectual property rights.
Basic services available from all TISCs include:
· Access to online patent and non-patent (scientific and technical) resources
· Access to industrial property-related publications
· Assistance in searching and retrieving technology information
Additional services provided by selected TISCs may include:
· Training in searching databases
· On-demand searches (novelty, state-of-the-art, and infringement)
· Technology and competitor monitoring
· Basic information on industrial property laws
· Basic information on industrial property management and strategy
· Basic information on technology commercialization and marketing
For more information on WIPO’s initiative regarding TISCs click here. (WIPO site)
