Academic staff from UR trained on technology transfer

10 academic staff and managers from UR have completed a ten – day training on technology transfer and commercialization of University Intellectual Property (TT-CUIP) in which they were equipped with skills on technology transfer and commercialization of CUIP.

The training specifically focused on capacity building of patent drafters of intellectual property (IP) which might came up as a result of research output in the of Pure & Applied Sciences, Engineering & Technology, Agriculture & Food Sciences and Agricultural Engineering.

The training is part of the activities which will be implemented under the project entitled “Capacity Strengthening in Technology Transfer and Commercialization of University Intellectual Property (TT-CUIP)” funded by Germany academic exchange program, DAAD.

The project was designed to support the process of transfer-oriented structuring and design of education programs for students and academic staff to increase the number of innovation initiatives from students and researchers and thus help to improve the innovation cultures at KU and UR.

The project intends to support in improving existing processes and structures for better university management in matters of technology transfer, commercialization of research and university-industry linkages through triple helix model.

During the training, participants were tipped on effective methodologies of technology transfer and commercialization of university generated IP under the guidance and project management of Hochschule Neu-Ulm university of applied sciences (HNU).

This training comes on right time as the ACEESD is running a Grid Innovation and Incubation Hub (GIIH) which accommodates incubates’ innovative ideas and provide mentorship and coaching to come up with viable business product.

 Very recently the hub has admitted five incubates to be hosted at Grid Innovation and Incubation Hub (GIIH) for 6 month renewable and the admitted incubates will be working on practice venture (PV) before graduation.

Pascal Nyiringango, the Head of the Hub, one of trainees, says he got pre-requisite skills that will help him to smoothly run the Hub and will be able to facilitate incubates to file for the provisional patent application since the protection of business ideas from early stages is paramount. 

The project is being implemented by University of Rwanda in collaboration with Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences (HNU), the lead University from Germany and Kenyatta University (KU), Kenya.