By Vukosi Mathale

As we step into the year 2024, the North-West University (NWU) Technology Transfer and Innovation Support (TTIS) Office is gearing up for an exciting year of collaboration with researchers eager to extend the reach of their research beyond academia. The TTIS plays an important role in assisting researchers in translating their academic findings into practical solutions that make a tangible impact on society. Researchers are encouraged to utilise the NWU Inventor Portal, a gateway to initiate the commercialisation process, reinforcing the university's reputation as a hub for pioneering research and innovation.

According to Mr Johann Coetzee, Manager: Intellectual Property and Contracting, “By timely disclosure of novel and inventive intellectual property (IP) to TTIS the IP may be effectively protected and the researchers supported in their commercialisation activities, allowing them to share in the benefits derived from the commercialisation of the IP.”

The NWU has been invited by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) to host World IP Day in 2024. Various activities are planned for 25 and 26 April 2024, with the TTIS taking the lead in collaboration with the CIPC and partner organisations – the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the Department of Science and Innovation, the National Intellectual Property Management Office, the Technology Innovation Agency, and the Small Enterprise Development Agency. The hosting of this esteemed event highlights the NWU's unwavering dedication to intellectual property protection as an enabler of innovation.

To further nurture innovation, the TTIS will host an innovation onboarding session quarterly for newly appointed academic staff. This initiative aims to provide new staff with support at the onset of their research and innovation journey at the NWU by creating awareness of IP identification and protection and routes to technology transfer and commercialisation.

The TTIS will continue with its Coffee Campaign, launched at the end of 2023, which encourages researchers and innovators to meet informally and chat with the TTIS team over a cup of coffee.

For researchers interested in exploring these opportunities and engaging with the TTIS office, a simple step is to get in touch via email at techtransfer@nwu.ac.za.

Visit: https://services.nwu.ac.za/technology-transfer-and-innovation-support/t…