Presentation in "Template for Effective Technology Transfer and IP Policies in Universities’’
While there have been numerous initiatives to enhance the impact of scientific research and technological innovation onto the local society and economy in many Arab countries, the return on these activities and programs have been disappointing based on the persistent national related performance indicators and international rankings in productivity, innovation and competitiveness. Simply, the accelerated challenges (climate change, population growth, insecurity and others), coupled with accelerated technologies outcomes in developed countries pushed our countries further down in the international development indices.
Local universities offer an opportunity to drive change at all levels. The university is the local knowledge source and leadership hope. Most universities declare explicitly such roles in their promising vision statements. However, connecting and transferring knowledge and technology to local environment and stakeholders need coherent policies (institutional and national), as well mechanisms for materializing the vision statements and mission objectives.
In this discussion, the facilitator will overview the national innovation system landscape in Jordan, describe the effective technology transfer process, propose typical institutional IP and related Technology transfer policy pillars, and a typical university tech transfer unit organizational chart. Finally, he will reflect on efforts that established national technology development and transfer systems in Lebanon, Egypt, Tunis, Morocco and Oman as part of UN ESCWA project that has been implemented since 2015 and scheduled to finish by 2017.
About the author:
After 18 years of experience in industrial R&D, academic research, innovation and strategies in Academia, Governments and Corporate, he joined the United Nations in 2009 as the executive director of ESCWA regional Technology Centre assisting Arab countries in harnessing technology for development through coherent policies and effective programs for productive national innovation, technology development and transfer systems.
As researcher in robotics, manufacturing technologies and innovation prototyping, he is frequently communicating and publishing scientific topics. He supervised prototyping more than 100 innovative projects. He acquired a notable experience in research, development and innovation: policies, programs and best practices.
He received his Ph.D. and MS degrees from Purdue University and BSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering from State University of New York, USA. From 1990 to 1993, he joined IBM in Minnesota, USA. He then moved to Lebanon and served as a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the American University of Beirut (AUB) up until 2009.