From December 3 to 4, 2024, the Qazpatent office hosted WIPO Regional Meeting for the Development of Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) Networks in Central Asia with the support of the Japan Patent Office (JPO).
The event brought together representatives from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, as well as national TISC coordinators and experts.
The meeting became an important platform for discussing the prospects for the development of the TISC network, strengthening international cooperation and exchanging best practices in supporting inventors and innovation.
The following speakers addressed the participants with welcoming remarks:
- Botagoz Zhaxelekova, Vice-Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who emphasized the importance of developing regional cooperation in the field of intellectual property;
- Alejandro Roca Campaña, Senior Director, IP for Innovators Department, IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector, WIPO, who noted that there are currently more than 1,632 TISCs operating in 93 countries, annually processing over 2 million requests from inventors and researchers. He expressed confidence that TISCs continue to play a key role in promoting innovative development throughout the world;
- Yernar Bakenov, Director, Entrepreneurship Development Department, Eurasian Economic Commission, who focused on the importance of intellectual property as an important driver of integration processes and economic growth in the Eurasian region.
The meeting was moderated and spoke by delegates from Central Asian countries and leading international experts:
- Andrew Czajkowski, Director, Technology and Innovation Support Division, IP for Innovators Department, WIPO;
- Kosuke Kato, Associate Professor, Co-Creation Bureau, Osaka University, Japan;
- Nathalie Montillot, Program Officer, TISC Development Section, Technology and Innovation Support Division, IP for Innovators Department, WIPO;
- Tologon Muktarov, Deputy Executive Director, State IP Fund under the State Agency of Intellectual Property and Innovation under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzpatent);
- Parviz Rajabzoda, Deputy Director, National Center for Patents and Information (NCPI), Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Republic of Tajikistan;
- Parahat Durdyyev, Senior Lecturer, Turkmen State Institute of Economics and Management, Turkmenistan;
- Sunnatulla Rakhmanov, Head, Division for Coordinating the Activities of Technology and Innovation Support Centers at the State Institution "Intellectual Property Center" under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
- Aziza Karbekova, TISC Coordinator, Jalal-Abad State University named after B.Osmonov, Kyrgyzstan;
- Dilshod Abduvahobov, Head, TISC at Namangan Engineering and Construction Institute, Uzbekistan;
- Tatiana Kuznetsova, Head, All-Russian Patent and Technology Library, FIIP, Russian Federation;
- Dzmitry Andryieuski, Head of the Department for Commercialization Support and State Registers, National Center of Intellectual Property, Republic of Belarus.
On behalf of the National Network of TISCs in Kazakhstan, the national coordinator Nazifa Baktybayeva spoke about Kazakhstan's achievements in developing the network. To date, 37 TISCs are registered in the country, providing services for access to patent information, training and consultations. The coordinator noted that in the first ten days of December 2024, agreements were signed to establish two new Centers based on the International Green Technologies and Investment Projects Center and the Center for Scientific and Technological Initiatives “Samgau” Foundation.
The program of the WIPO regional meeting on the development of TISCs in Central Asia included the following topics and events:
- Latest achievements in the global TISC program;
- Main development areas and long-term plans;
- Formation of a sustainable and effective TISC network that unites participants to jointly solve problems.
- On the second day of the program, a round table was held with representatives of the national TISC networks of the Central Asian region, where the following areas were discussed:
- Organization and management of successful technology and innovation support services;
- Opportunities for expanding regional cooperation between TISCs and integrating their activities with technology parks.
At the end of the event, Alejandro Roca Campaña outlined the mission of TISCs as key links in ensuring access to knowledge, creating innovation ecosystems and supporting inventors and entrepreneurs. He emphasized that one of the main tasks is to help the Centers promote their work among a wide range of users in order to make intellectual property more accessible and understandable for various categories of stakeholders. He also noted the significant progress of Central Asia in implementing the global WIPO TISC program and expressed confidence that the efforts of the participants will continue to contribute to the development of technology and innovation in the region.
On behalf of the host party, Sabit Akhmetov, Director of Qazpatent, made the closing remarks. In his speech, he thanked his foreign colleagues for the opportunity to exchange experiences and discuss prospects for further development of TISC networks in Central Asia.
For reference
Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs) are created with the support of WIPO to expand access to patent information, training and commercialization of innovations.
