IP-driven innovation ecosystem: Academia, industry partnership stressed

Visakhapatnam: A roundtable conference held here by National Research Development Corporation (NRDC)-Intellectual Property Facilitation Center and Technology and Innovation Support Center, in collaboration with the United State Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) and Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS) has called for collaborative efforts by the academia and industries to achieve an Intellectual Property (IP)-driven innovation ecosystem.

The conclave on "opportunities for academia & industries collaboration in IP & innovation management" was organised on Wednesday for various stakeholders including MSMEs, startups, research institutes and government bodies.

The inaugural session was graced by Sunil Kumar, CMD, NRDC & Joint Secretary, MoST, Prof T V Kattimani, Vice Chancellor, Central Tribal University, Anil Tentu, CEO, APITA, John Cabeca, US Intellectual Property Counselor for South Asia, Andrew Edlefsen, Principal Commercial Officer, US Consulate Hyderabad, Dr Mohit Gambhir, Innovation Director, Ministry of Education, G Keertana, Joint Director, APIS and others. BK Sahu, regional manager of NRDC, welcomed.

Prof Kattimani, and Sunil Kumar deliberated on industry-academia collaborations as the key enabler to promote innovation ecosystem and the importance of IP and innovation management in global equilibrium by academics, industries, scientists, engineers, technologists, researchers, and governments.

The American delegates explained that the USPTO is the federal agency of the USA for granting patents and registering trademarks and other IPs. Under this system of protection, American industry has flourished and created an impact on global IP and innovation management. The USPTO is at the cutting-edge of the nation's technological progress and achievement.

Sunil Kumar said it is high time to understand R&D, skill and protection, management and commercialisation of IPRs, which determine positions of organisations and their chronological and innovation dynamic. He briefed about the vision of NRDC

and congratulated USPTO and NRDC collaboration for this initiative of innovation roundtable conclave to act as an imperative instrument to overcome the challenges faced by academia and Industry fraternity.

Sunil Kumar also highlighted that NRDC-IPFC and TISC Visakhapatnam have transferred more technologies and collaborated with various universities within the short span of time in Andhra Pradesh and appreciated the contribution and association of Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society for its support.

Several delegates spoke in a session with the theme "Building Enabling IP and Innovation Ecosystem for Academia-Industry Collaboration and Revisit of NEP 2020 & NISP 2019", the theme aimed at presenting an overview of an education system built on the premises of quality and equity considered central to sustainable development, achieving success in the emerging

knowledge economy and society, for socio-economic mobility, and for building an equitable, just and humane society.