The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Service Legal Agreements (SLA) were signed between the Department of Intellectual Property (DoIP) under Ministry of Economic Affairs and the three host institutions, which are College of Science and Technology, Jigme Namgyel Engineering College and Bhutan Innovation and Technology Center to establish a Technology Innovation and Support Center (TISC) in their respective institute. Another SLA was also signed by the Economic Minister, Lekey Dorji on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Lyonpo Lekey said, “Today I am extremely happy to be a part of this Ministry’s initiative, led by the Department of Intellectual Property to establish centers that will provide access to locally based, high quality technology information to our innovators. We are also very fortunate that the College of Science and Technology, Jigme Namgyel Engineering College and the Thimphu TechPark limited has embraced this opportunity and joined us in this journey by agreeing to host the centers in their institution.”
Lyonpo said that once the centers are established the institutions will go on to play a central role in helping the innovators and creators by providing access to customized, relevant and valuable source of technical information for understanding a given technological art and application thereafter.
It was highlighted the setting up of a Technology Innovation and Support Centers in the institutes will facilitate access to technology information to develop local proficiency and capabilities for exploitation, and to work towards full participation in the global knowledge economy.
As per the Department of Intellectual Property, the main objectives of establishing TISCs are to provide innovators and creators with access to high quality scientific and technological information and related services, to help in exploiting the innovative potential and in creating, protecting, and managing Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs).
The Economic Minister said that at present, there are about 70 million patent documents globally for technological fields. “If we can make these patent documents accessible for our innovators in the country, we are providing them tools to avoid reinventing the wheel and to only labor over solutions that has clear potentials, and make value of one’s talents and resources.”
“Through these centers, it will work to provide access to patent databases, and other scientific and technology resources for those who feel a need to understand a given technology field to further innovative and develop products and services,” he added.
