UBD launches IP policy and new office

UNIVERSITI Brunei Darussalam (UBD) marked an important legal milestone with the implementation of the long-awaited Intellectual Property (IP) Policy which will come with the setting up of its very own Innovation and Enterprise Office (IEO).

UBD Vice Chancellor Dr Hj Zulkarnain Hj Hanafi announced this at the launching ceremony of the IP Policy at the university's Institute for Leadership, Innovation and Advancement (ILIA) yesterday.

With several projects at the university having patent potential, Dr Hj Zulkarnain said that the introduction of the office will better serve researchers at the university.

"The IEO will be relevant to the local business development strategy for the National Development Plan 2007-2017, in which it will become a one-stop agency for information, advice and commercialisation of IP rights," he said.

The office, he added, will work closely with the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) and train as well as educate students and staff on entrepreneurship for competitions and in commercialisation of IP as some of its activities.

"The IEO will encourage research and innovation amongst academic staff, students and small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) as well as provide confidence amongst inventors in novel product commercialisation," said the vice-chancellor.

Other functions of the IEO, he listed, included facilitating researchers, entrepreneurs and organisations to obtain IP rights on their creations and innovations; nurture "spin-offs" and start-ups as well as foster industrial collaboration, incubators and facilitate the dissemination of knowledge to the community; and to seek and secure funding for research, development and innovative activities.

According to Dr Hj Zulkarnain, four main units will come under the IEO, which will be set up "in stages".

The first unit is the IP Information and Advising Unit, which will assist applicants in writing disclosure forms and provide assistance as well as advice on IP and on industry-university internship programmes and linkages.

The second unit is the IP Education and Entrepreneurship Unit, which will educate students through internship and incubator projects during the Discovery Year.

This unit will also function to provide training and education of IP, patents, copyright, trademarks as well as train researchers, inventors and scientists in record keeping patents and search application filing processes.

The third unit called the Commercial Affairs Unit will deal with organisations outside the university and involve licencing, transfer of technology, negotiation and protection of contracts.

The unit will liase with business, industry and government associations to facilitate applied research in UBD.

"It will also be responsible for transferring technologies to industry commercialisation and negotiate all aspects of agreements and commercial partnerships," said the vice-chancellor.

Moreover, the Patent Documentation and Information Unit will work with the AGC to check, publish and examine submitted patents and trademarks.The Brunei Times