University of Bahrain and Industry Ministry launch “Technology Transfer” project

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain is eyeing rapid growth to become one of the top filers of international patents and transform them into projects capable of boosting the job market. The development came as the Kingdom yesterday launched a “Technology Transfer” project to link the patent filing system of the Kingdom to the academic, production and services sector in the Kingdom. The University of Bahrain in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and the Commercial Law Development Programme (CLDP), funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative of the US Department of State, has launched the project.

“Technology Transfer ” project, Prof. Dr Riyad Yusuf Hamzah, the UoB President, said, “will boost patent rates in the Kingdom, incubate inventions and transform them into projects capable of generating jobs.” Bahrain, which joined the World Intellectual Property Organisation in 1995, had 130 patents in force as of 2019. The Kingdom also filed 79 patents and 1,474 trademarks during the year.

According to the Global Innovation Index 2020, Bahrain ranks 79th among the 131 economies around the world. “The project will revitalise our economy and create more job opportunities for young men and women,” stressed Dr Riyad Yusuf Hamzah.

Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, described the move as one of the most crucial initiatives targeting the Small and Medium Enterprises.

“It promotes innovation while complementing the initiatives and projects launched to strengthen the contributions of small and medium enterprises to GDP. “The project also meets the objectives of Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the government plan led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister.”

As of now, Dr Hamzah said UoB had completed an implementation plan for the project, its intellectual property policy, and licensing agreement to train staff to initiate the project. Training is ongoing to help staff understand the registration mechanisms and procedures. “The University of Bahrain seeks to monitor all ongoing researches to rate it, register, incubate, and market its products,” Prof. Hamzah said.

He added, “There is no doubt that this step will raise the classification of Bahrain in the patent index.” “The project links the academic sector with the production and services sector in Bahrain,” said Sheikha Abdullah Al-Fadhel, the Director of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Department at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism. Explaining, the Dean of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at the University of Bahrain, Dr Muhammad Reda Qadir, said the employee training has begun through virtual platforms. “The training focuses on laws, patent registration system, and inventions,” Dr Qadir said.

He also expressed hope to start several projects during the first year itself. He said, “For us at the University of Bahrain, the rates of scientific research are good, and they are on an upward path year after year.”

China in 2019 surpassed the US as the top source of international patent applications filed with WIPO. With 58,990 applications filed in 2019 via WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) System, China ended the US (57,840 applications in 2019) reign as the biggest user of the PCT System that helps incentivize and spread innovation – a position previously held by the US each year since the PCT began operations in 1978.