1. ACCESS TO SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION FOR DEVELOPMENT: The Role of Technology Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) Windhoek, Namibia September 16, 2015 Loretta Asiedu Senior Counsellor Regional Bureau for Africa

2. LAYOUT Importance of Scientific and Technical Information to IP Facilitating access to scientific and technical information WIPO’s contribution The Role of the TISC in facilitating access to scientific and technical information

3. IMPORTANCE OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION A knowledge based global economy Knowledge generates growth Developing countries remain in the peripheries of knowledge generation The position of Africa in knowledge production Keeping up with opportunities in digital revolution: making access to knowledge and information easier

4. “Just as participation in the physical economy requires access to roads, bridges and vehicles to transport goods, similar infrastructure, is needed in the virtual and knowledge economy”. cis Francis Gurry WIPO Director General

5. WIPO’S CONTRIBUTION DEVELOPING IP INFRASTRUCTURE Cooperating with IP offices, users of the IP system and other stakeholders to develop shared IP tools services standards databases platforms

6. DEVELOPING IP INFRASTRUCTURE Tools: International classification systems Facilitate searches for inventions; trademarks; and industrial design by organizing information into indexed manageable structures Databases: Global brand database and global design database streamlines trademark and industrial design searches; allows users to search data collections through a single, intuitive interface Patentscope: database that captures patent records- biggest database by far; has currently over 43 million patent records and facilitates patent search and analyses

7. DEVELOPING IP INFRASTRUCTURE Services include: WIPO CASE: Centralized Access to Search and Examination enables patent offices to securely share search and examination documentation related to patent applications for a more efficient international examination process WIPO DAS: Digital Access Service which enables IP Offices to exchange priority and other similar documents securely among themselves

8. BUILDING CAPACITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY Provision of technical assistance to enable national and regional IP offices to effectively participate in the global IP system Aimed at helping IP offices to deliver better services to their stakeholders through: Business solutions: Automation and standardization procedures - IPAS; EDMS TISCs : designed to help innovators create, protect and manage intellectual property rights and develop new solutions to technical problems faced at the local and global levels

9. TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION SUPPORT CENTERS: KEY STAKEHOLDERS WIPO Government Authority National Focal Point Host Institution

10. LOCATION National and regional Industrial Property Offices Universities/Academic institutions Research Centres/innovation Hubs or incubators Associations of Chambers of Commerce Associations of SMEs

11. OPERATION OF TISC Trained local staff of the Host institution provide support aimed at: promoting access to technical information Facilitating effective use of valuable sources of technical and commercial information such as patent information, scientific and technical journals, trademark and industrial design information

12. WIPO AND TISCs Support the establishment and effective operation of TISCs by Facilitating access to patent databases and other science and technology resources Building skills of TISCs staff Providing information and training materials Supporting awareness raising activities Disseminating experiences and good practices among TISCs

13. TISC ROLE IN INNOVATION TISCs enhance innovators’ ability to innovate by offering the following services Access to online patent and non patent(scientific and technical) resources and publications Access to industrial property related publications Training in database search Monitoring technology and competitors Providing basic information on industrial property laws, management and strategy, technology commercialization and marketing

14. TISC ROLE IN INNOVATON Gives innovators easy access to locally based high quality technology information and related services Helps innovators to exploit their innovative potential Helps them to create, protect and manage their IPRs

15. STATISTICS 23 African Member States have signed agreements with WIPO to establish TISCs Will bring the number of TISCs in Africa to over 30

16. SUCCESS STORIES Abuja TISC inaugurated in Dec 2012: Iddidunni Annette Roberts has used the TISC to bring to market her IBY Nature Pride Black Soap She can register her product as an international trademark. Information on existing brands and technologies she found on the TISC network was instrumental

17. SUCCESS STORIES Ethiopia: allowed a doctor to successfully treat a patient with a rare and serious condition, and helped his hospital to deliver more effective training to orthopaedic physicians; Malawi: enabled local researchers, scholars and scientists at an agricultural college to produce quality and well-researched project reports, scientific papers, theses and dissertations;

18. SUCCESS STORIES Zambia: helped a physician to improve the lives of HIV- infected children; Burkina Faso: helped a researcher to develop better and more informed scientific writing skills, produce focused research that he could discuss with top researchers worldwide, compete more effectively for research funding, and deliver better teaching programmes;

19. SUCCESS STORIES Zimbabwe: enabled a midwife to improve maternity care and reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates. Nigeria: allowed a researcher to complete his PhD and other research on organic agriculture, bio pesticides and bio fertilizers, while facilitating his acceptance into the global research community in his discipline; Sudan ; allowed a policy-maker to introduce evidence- based policy development designed to improve the Sudanese people's health in the long term;

20. A TISC IN AFRICA

21. PHILIPPINES TISC

22. RELATED MATERIAL TISC Implementation Guide: http://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/patents/1038/wipo_pub_1038.pdf TISC Brochure: http://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/patents/434/wipo_pub_l434_10.pdf http://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/patents/434/wipo_pub_l434_10.pdf ARDI (scientific & technical journals) : http://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/patents/434/wipo_pub_l434_05.pdf http://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/patents/434/wipo_pub_l434_05.pdf ASPI (commercial patent databases) : http://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/patents/434/wipo_pub_l434_06.pdf http://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/patents/434/wipo_pub_l434_06.pdf Finding Technology using Patents (basic): http://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/patents/434/wipo_pub_l434_02.pdf http://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/patents/434/wipo_pub_l434_02.pdf Reference Guide to Technology Databases: http://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/patents/434/wipo_pub_l434_11.pdf http://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/patents/434/wipo_pub_l434_11.pdf WIPO Guide to Patent Searching (more advanced): http://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/patents/434/wipo_pub_l434_03.pdf http://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/patents/434/wipo_pub_l434_03.pdf

23. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION www.wipo.int/tisc/en/

24. KEY MESSAGES In a knowledge based global economy, access to knowledge, scientific and technical information is a major key to unlocking innovative potential of developing countries The knowledge and information sharing tools and platforms administered by WIPO make us a relevant partner in our Member states’ quest to access the knowledge based global economy in order to unlock their innovative potential to accelerate sustainable development.