- Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry to host next Monday the Second International Forum on the technology transfer in the Arab region
The Arab Science and Technology Foundation is organizing in cooperation with the Licensing Executives Society – Arab Countries (LES-AC) the second international annual Forum on patents licensing and technology transfer in the Arab region on November 28-29, 2011, in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry will host the international forum. The theme for this year’s Forum will be the “Opportunities for Protecting and Marketing Inventions 2011”.
Among the main participants in the Forum are: the Federation of GCC Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization, and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, gives momentum and richness of great importance to the forum, what is known at Arab, regional and international level his support and interest in science and knowledge, and investment in people, to achieve sustainable development and improve the standard of living.
Dr. Abdalla Alnajjar said that the forum aimed the participation of specific groups that are: centers of innovation and R & D and technology transfer in universities, owners and developers of technology, inventors, licensing experts, businessmen and entrepreneurs, joint-venture capital and angel capital funds and companies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), government agencies, multinational technology-based corporations and societies. He explained that there are more than 15 speakers at the forum, including the following: Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, LES – AC President, Chairman and CEO of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org); Dr. Fouad Mrad, Executive Director, ESCWA Technology Centre; Mr. Ahmad Saleh, Attorney, Engineer, Patent Specialist, Trade-Mark Agent, Rouse & Co.; Mr. Terence McElwee, Director Technology Transfer & Innovation, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Omer Hiziroglu, Technology Transfer Director & General Counsel Inovent, Turkey; Dr. Fabirama NIANG , Vice-president Intellectual property, TOTAL Group; Dr. Mohammad Al-Ansari, Director of Technology program, Research and Development center, Saudi ARAMCO in KSA, Mr. Nicolas Lategan, Executive Consultant, Badir For Advanced Manufacturing, King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology; Mr. Raja Saliba, Mr. Chid Iyer, Partners, Sughrue – USA and Dr. Abdalla Alnajjar, President of the Arab Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF).
Dr Alnajjar added that the forum this year deals with a number of sensitive issues related to the economic growth in the global financial crisis, the crisis of governmental debts in the United States and the European Union and its repercussions on the economies of the Arab region, including: technology transfer and licensing for economic growth in the emerging countries, the new driver for sustainable growth & national development-IP licensing, trends in the technology transfer in the Middle East and North Africa MENA and in comparison with policies Followed by U.S Universities, technology commercialization at universities and research institutions in the region (obstacles and solutions), mechanisms for collaboration between academic research institutions and economic & industrial, technology commercialization in universities and research institutes, challenges and solutions to this issue in the region, the licensing decision for companies, entrepreneurs and inventors, development of research and innovation culture in the Middle East, how to know about technologies available for licensing? He referred that the forum includes a training workshop on, managed by Mr. Ahmed Saleh, and concentrated on “patent protection for inventors and entrepreneurs”.
In a related contexte, Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, LES – AC President, Chairman and CEO of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) said that the forum of the “Opportunities for Protecting and Marketing Inventions 2011” aims to support technology transfer opportunities available in the Arab region and encourage cooperation between universities, industrial firms and small & medium-sized and large enterprises, in addition to spreading awareness about the protection intellectual property and marketing mechanism of inventions to contribute to economic and social development, develop business and increase competitiveness at national and international levels. The forum contributes to increasing the awareness of entrepreneurs and Arab businessmen regarding the importance of intellectual property and the licensing contracts, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, common contracts for research and development projects to contribute to the economic development. The Forum is the opportunity for interaction and communication between the technology-based companies, research centers, as well as professionals working in the field of licensing and technology transfer, to take advantage of their expertise and successful experiences, and available opportunities in the region.
Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh added that to market inventions and technologies available in the region, we will issue a guide on an annual basis in conjunction with the Forum, including modern technologies and protected marketable, and funding opportunities for projects and new research to research institutions and industry partners, providing consultancy services to researchers, technology, in terms of protection and commercialization of inventions applicable to industrial, as well as to contribute in providing the right environment for technology transfer, with respect to laws, legislation and policies for research and development and intellectual property protection.
