WIPO Open-Ended ForumPlans and Suggestions Forward

13-14 October 2009

Panel Discussion on IP and Technology Transfer and the Role of WIPO

Civil Society Prospective

Abdalla A. Alnajjar, Ph.D.President, Arab Science and Technology Foundation

(ASTF)

Civil Society; Attends for Socio-Economic Development.

It Sees Technology as a Tool for Change

2

• Scientist : Output from research ( inventions, know-how)• Attorney : Intellectual property (pursue infringers)• Engineer : a tool or a process

• Business person : a type of asset • Marketer : potential competitive

edge vs. Potential disaster• Civil Society is to support all of above to bring positive

change and prosperity to its community

Technology

MarketingStrategy

Patent

Marketplace

The Case of Developing Countries• IP and TT requires dedicated bodies and efforts which does not exist in developing

world countries or is not set for the mission.

• In Arabia, as an example for developing world, IP still passes more or less as a technical non-issue primarily of interest to a few experts. We need WIPO to help us change that.

• So far, IP has been largely looked upon from a legal perspective (Lawyers), while Arab scientists and even entrepreneurs know very little about intellectual property.

• I think a multidisciplinary perspective (one that looks at it as a strategic asset more than a legal framework) is needed to turn IP into a tool for economic, social and cultural prosperity.

• It is important to sign a treaty to get justice to third world countries to have more equal rights and to have same roles and rules for IPR and help to transfer their technologies out to industries. (from scientists prospective)

3

Situation• Patents issued from all Developing countries together are less than

1% of Germany alone. When there are no patents there is no Technology Transfer.

• At the GCC alone, for examples, the total number of patents per year is less than 200. As every one knows that only maximum of 0.5% of patents arrives to a product on the market, ie, less than 2 new products will reach the market from the GCC.

• Governments of the GCC spending many 100s of Million Dollar on creation of new education and research centers, but unfortunately we do not see any measurable results. Examples, the Qatar Foundation was founded 1995 and they paid till now more than 800 million USD, but if you make a patents search there is no patents issued till now in their name.

4

Patenting & Innovation• The ASTF, with the support of Spanish “AECID”, had

executed field survey in 6 Arab countries about "measures to support innovation* in the Arab SMEs". In this project we studied different factors that influence innovation in the region and especially the reasons why subject countries are lagging behind many other countries in terms of innovation and patents.

(*) Patents are the fruits of innovation. These can be considered as two faces of the same coin. Patents can be also considered as a very good indicator of innovation since they are strongly related to each other.

5

Patenting & InnovationInnovation Clusters

6

Patenting & InnovationFDI and Tech Exports

7

Problems• No Government plans to help people to understand the value of patents• Governments spend millions to bring experts from all over the world, but none of

the expert lived or worked in the developed countries, so simply they are doing cut and paste of what they have. They charge the locals very high prices for an old stuff, which does not help.

• Application for patents is very expensive and require specialized agencies that are not handy to applicants.

• High costs that are not affordable to scientists; many months salaries.• Even before applying for patents there is no organization that helps the researcher

to make patents search for them, and if there is they are again very expensive with a low quality.

• Most of peoples who works as patents searchers in the GCC, for example, cannot read or speak perfect English and non-who can read German, French or other European languages (Language Barrier).

• The path forward (after patenting) is not understood nor clear. No Commercialization skills; prototype, license, startup.

• It is not a rewarding process.

8

Role of the Elite in Civil Society• To raise the awareness on the vitality of mastering necessary technologies and on

the risk brought to next generations if the issue is not regarded seriously.• To upgrade, the professional and educational levels of the students, without

scarifying the quality,• To inculcate the culture of IP within the Universities and Innovative companies,

and to build appropriate expertise • To exploit patents from inside and outside the university in technology project,• To convince officials, to prepare the legal framework for IP, • To bridge university to industry and to provide supporting network for transfer of

technology activity• To ease the creation of a new generation of fund managers,• To foster the creation of business angels network that adopt projects in their early

stages.• To establish a national business competitions for best start-ups and innovative

projects

9

WIPO Should; ….• Facilitate transactions: WIPO to put a standard framework for technology

transfer to developing countries. This is like a standard rental agreement. This will make the licensor and licensee reach agreement faster. I think a lot of opportunities are lost because the IP agreements are complex, and the licensee will find them too complex to engage in them. Imagine you have to go to a lawyer each time you want to rent a property.

• Facilitate awareness: develop tools with subsidized fees for businesses in developing country to allow them to know what IP is out there. Now it is very expensive and cumbersome

• Simplify and reduce cost for IP registration for developing countries in developed countries. It is prohibitively expensive for the poor nations to register their IP, and therefore, IP remains a rich man world

• Focused regional groups on specific area of IP. For example, a Middle Eastern pharma IP group that allow the exchange of info, new IP between members. Spread the knowledge that new IP is generated in the region.

• Regional WIPO offices offering subsidized services to the region.

10

Specifics for the WIPO• Intensive PR in the developed countries to show the values

of patents for individuals and society. Increase the number of activities in these countries to educate the IP/TT offices employee to elevate their level to a normal European level.

• The WIPO shall establish a “fund” or a mean to “support” patent search, drafting and application from the developed countries.

• Work with credible/accountable “NGOs” to handle the fund/support in the developing countries (not through government), or handle it directly and make the service free to the applicants of patents.

• Need to create momentum of success (show cases to raise moral)

11

Tech-IP CatalogueEstablish a process to look into locally registered IP to check their potential. The Plan

implies:• Review those registered locally for validity and value. Most are not taken international

for lack of resources.• Establish “Juristic” references for the initiative; MOU’s, NDA’s, Agreements and

Contracts.• Invest in ones that have high potential to meet international credibility for licensing.• Build website for Arab IP recording and searching.• Commercialize through ASTF commercialization programs.

ASTF established a committee to gather data and conducting fact finding missions to MENA region in order to :

•  Identify the technology transfer potential in MENA region, • Inventory existing IP potential in MENA universities• Identify targeted universities best candidates for pilot TT offices

Sample ProjectSample Project

12

Academic Technology Transfer

First Milestone

- Open ASTF office in Tunis to manage the program

- Hiring World known specialists from AUTM and LES

- Official support of WIPO- First workshop for technology transfer in

Fes, Morocco

Aim- Establish 10 offices for technology

transfer in Arab countries- Raising awareness on IP laws and

rights in both universities and companies in the region

- Guide research contracts from industry towards universities

- Helping the commercialization of Arab research breakthrough

- Creating local Experts in intellectual properties : diligence & transfer

- Upgrading technology of Arab industry through gaining technology from inside and outside region.

Sample ProjectSample Project

Technology Transfer Office provide services for effective and efficient commercialization of innovations, inventions and research findings.

13

How can TTO contribute to Sustained Development

• By positioning the labs on niche sectors of vital interest to the region and to the world ( renewable energy, water, health care, ICT…)

• By Valuing more Research Results in University labs• By creating better framework for IP protection and enforcement, • Good IP protection raise LP/VC interest and give confidence & reputation…• By selecting team of entrepreneurs with complementary background ( technology

+ Management)• By securing appropriate funding at early stages, BA particularly • By securing commercialization or acquisition of technology through Technology

Transfer/Licensing agreements,

• The TTO may be expected to undertake patent searches to assess the novelty of innovations, pay the cost of processing patent applications and take care of the marketing of the invention and its commercialization, as well as the negotiation of the licenses and royalties.

Sample ProjectSample Project

14

AIM; ASTF Innovation ModelAn integrated Project that ties-in following components:

1. National Innovation System2. R&D Grant Management3. Extraction of Innovation Process4. Technology Transfer Offices5. Develop/Manage Tech Incubators 6. Raise/Manage Investment Funds7. Investing In Technology Forums8. Development of Human Resources

Sample ProjectSample Project

15

Academia

R&DCenters

Industry

S&T Parks

Incubators

Government

PlannedExisting

Inv. In Tech.

Forum

Start-ups Support

IP Licensing

Technology

Investment

VC Seed Fund

Pilot

Market

Bridging

Inv in Tech Website

Tech BP Comp

Made in Arabia

IncubatorsComp.

Innovation

Extraction

Patents Catalogue

Tech Trans. O.

Industry BP C

Feasibility S.

Support

Grants Progra

m

Comm. &

Networks

Core

Activiti

es

R&D Activiti

es

ASTF Innovation Model

16

ASTF in the Arab Region; Geographical and Virtual

Footprintswww.astf.net

17

ASTF manages its progs from (Offices):

1) Sharjah (Grants Program)

2) Baghdad (Scientist Rescue Prog)

3) Cairo (Extraction of Innovation Prog)

4) Amman (Inv in Tech Prog)

5) Tunis (Tech Transfer Prog)

6) Tetwan/Fes (EU ties program)

ASTF Specialized Networks :ASTF Specialized Networks : Arab Biotechnology Network - UAE Renewable Energy Network –Tunis Arab Science Journalists Association - Egypt Arab Network on Nanotechnology – SwedenRD&I Network on Electro Technology – Morocco Technopreneurs and Investors Network – Jordan

Arab Women Association for Research &Development - Egypt

ASTF Specialized Networks :ASTF Specialized Networks : Arab Biotechnology Network - UAE Renewable Energy Network –Tunis Arab Science Journalists Association - Egypt Arab Network on Nanotechnology – SwedenRD&I Network on Electro Technology – Morocco Technopreneurs and Investors Network – Jordan

Arab Women Association for Research &Development - Egypt

Collaborative Approach of ASTFPartners & Sponsors

(Selected among 400+ different entity)

18

Thank You

19

Arab Science and Technology FoundationUniversity CityP.O.Box 27272Sharjah, UAE

info@astf.net