Workshop on 'Intellectual Property Management'

A daylong workshop on 'Intellectual Property Management' was jointly organised by Research and Innovation Centre for Science and Engineering (RISE), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), and GPH Ispat Limited at the RISE Seminar Hall of BUET's Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) building.

The primary objective of the event was to raise awareness among students, researchers, and industry professionals about the protection and commercialization of Intellectual Property (IP) in innovation, research, and technology development in Bangladesh, and to strengthen the innovation environment through further industry-academia collaboration.

The workshop was attended by Prof Dr. A. S. M. A. Haseeb, Head of the Department of Nanomaterials and Ceramics Engineering, BUET, as the chief guest; GPH Ispat Limited's Chief People Officer Sharmin Sultan and Defence and Large Corporate Business Development Advisor Brig Gen (Retd.) Md. Towhid Hossain, says a press statement.

Teachers and students from BUET, BRAC University, Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Gazipur, and Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology participated in the workshop. The event was presided over by Prof Dr. Mohammad Shariful Islam, Director of RISE.

The workshop was held in three sessions. The topic of the first session was 'Managing Intellectual Property: The Role of the State and Organization in Innovation'. In this session, Dr. Mohidus Samad Khan, Professor of Chemical Engineering Department, BUET and Director of the Institute of Appropriate Technology (IAT), discussed the role of the state and organisations in intellectual property management.

In the second session, Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Shaleh Akram Somrat spoke on 'Practical Insight on IP Infringement and Protection in Bangladesh'.

The topic of the last session was 'Strengthening the IP Policy and Commercialization Ecosystem in Bangladesh: The Role of Patents in Driving Innovation'. Mirza Golam Sarwar, Deputy Director, Patent, Industrial Design and Trademark Department, Ministry of Industries, discussed ways to strengthen Bangladesh's IP structure, the patent application process, and the potential for creating economic value from innovations through commercialisation.