Seminar on creation of TISC network in Belarus was held

On March 3, 2021, the National Seminar “Access to Technology for Innovation and Developing a Technology and Innovation Support Centres Network in Belarus” was organized. The event was held online and brought together more than 60 active participants and 150 viewers. The seminar was organized by the National Center of Intellectual Property (NCIP) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The speakers were experts of both national and international level. The event was attended by the representatives of NCIP: Director General Uladzimir Rabavolau, Head of the Division of Registration and Promotion of Industrial Property Commercialisation Dzmitry Andryieuski, Head of the International Cooperation Division Arthur Akhramenka, Deputy Head of the Division of Registration and Promotion of Industrial Property Commercialisation Olga Akhramenka and Leading Specialist of the Industrial Property Examination Department Alexander Mazanik.

WIPO was represented by Ilya Gribkov –Head of the Section for Caucasian, Central Asian and Eastern European Countries, Department for Transition and Developed Countries (TDC), Alex Riechel – Head of the TISC Development Section, IP for Innovators Department, Vipin Saroha – Associate Management Information Officer, IP for Innovators Department.

Among the invited experts there were Head of the Regional TISC Development Sector, Patent Library (Federal Institute of Industrial Property), Ekaterina Belova and Head of the Patent Documents Division of the Republican Library on Science and Technology Natalia Safronova.

During the seminar, the prospects for the TISC network development in the Republic of Belarus, international experience in this area and the role of digital platforms and WIPO tools in establishing links between TISCs of different countries were discussed.

In his welcoming address, the Director General of NCIP stressed that the project aimed at creating and developing the TISC network in the Republic of Belarus was launched in 2016 in cooperation with WIPO. During this time, significant results have been achieved. Thus, today there are 9 TISCs functioning: one each at the Republican Library on Science and Technology, its regional branches, Belarusian State University, industrial park “Great Stone” and NCIP.

“As the head of the Belarus IP Office, I would like to note that during 2020 only the TISC of the National Center of Intellectual Property provided more than 4500 consultations for legal entities and individuals. They addressed primarily the issues of registration, protection and transfer of intellectual property rights”, he stated.

All the participants of the seminar noted the relevance of the topics covered and the need to continue productive work on promotion of this project.