Final Report Summary - CIPTT (ESTABLISHMENT OF A CENTER FOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (CIPTT) IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA)
The Center served several general functions, including:
1. Carrying out interdisciplinary research to understand the role of intellectual property policies and rules in contributing to creativity and innovation in the country. In particular, the Center examined if and how intellectual property contributes to broad social goals such as increased health, cultural development, access to information and economic growth. The Center collaborated with stakeholders, the President’s Cabinet and the Ministry of Education and Science to streamline relevant legislation, facilitating the creation and activities of technology parks and R & D incubators;
2. Collaboration with the Macedonian Industrial Property Office to enhance understanding of intellectual property and innovation systems within the business community;
3. Participation in the creation of a well-functioning NIS, incorporating key actors and activities in the knowledge production and absorption processes necessary for innovation to take place;
4. Facilitation of the protection and management of intellectual property arising from university research, and licensing intellectual property rights to industry for the ultimate benefit of people. One of the primary goals is to catalyze the creation of new companies based on university created technologies; to develop a strategy and program to stimulate the development of SMEs.
5. Served as a hub for formal linking and networking of the IPRs stakeholders (foreign and domestic companies and investors; IPR holders; public and private universities; public agencies) in Macedonia, through semi - annual and ad hoc meetings;
6. Enhanced understanding of intellectual property rights and innovation systems among students at the undergraduate, graduate and executive level;
7. Disseminated the results of its research through workshops and conferences;
8. Through already established professional networks, the Center established partnerships with regional and intergovernmental intellectual property rights, technology transfer, R & D, and economic development stakeholders – with the aim of transferring best practices in the field of IPRs management and TT.