UoB And the “Industry” Launch a Project to Promote Patents 

Monitoring and Internationally Registering Refereed Research in Preparation for Turning them into Businesses  

UoB And the “Industry” Launch a Project to Promote Patents 

In cooperation with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) funded by the US Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), the University of Bahrain (UoB) announced the launch of a “Technology Transfer” project that aims to increase patent rates in the Kingdom of Bahrain, incubate inventions, and transform them into projects that contribute to creating jobs for citizens. 

For his part, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, His Excellency Mr. Zayed bin Rashid Al-Zayani, stressed that the “Technology Transfer” project is one of the most important initiatives of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Council at the center of promoting innovation, complementary to the package of initiatives and projects launched by the Ministry to strengthen the system of small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurship as one of the tributaries of the sustainable knowledge-based economy that comes within the framework of the objectives of the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030, in line with the objectives of the comprehensive development process led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the plan of the esteemed government led by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. 

The President of UoB, Prof. Riyad Yousif Hamzah, indicated that the project – which the University is working on in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism – has completed its executive plan, its intellectual property policy, and the licensing agreement to train the cadre that will conduct the project in cooperation with CLDP. 

Also, the President of UoB indicated that the University employees are currently receiving the necessary training to familiarize themselves with the nature of scientific research that is eligible to register a patent, in addition to the registration mechanisms and procedures. 

Prof. Hamzah stated that “The University of Bahrain seeks to monitor the refereed research carried out by researchers at the University and outside, and to select researches that are eligible for patents, register them, and then incubate them to conduct them and put their products on the market.” 

He further added that “There is no doubt that this step will raise the ranking of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the patent index and will help revitalize the economy and create job opportunities for young men and women.” Noting that the University will not only target researchers affiliated with it, but all graduate researchers who are qualified to obtain a patent for their scientific research, noting that those are often from the sciences, health sciences, engineering, and information technology disciplines. 

For her part, the Director of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Department at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Sheikha Abdullah Al-Fadhel, explained that the launch of the “Technology Transfer” project, in cooperation with UoB and CLDP, is an essential pillar for linking the academic sector with production and service lines in the industrial and commercial sectors in the Kingdom of Bahrain, as the project contributes to building strategic partnerships between higher education institutions and emerging institutions and innovative entrepreneurs. 

Moreover, Al-Fadhel expressed her aspiration in the project achieving its objectives in creating a stimulating atmosphere for entrepreneurship and innovation by providing an incubating environment for research, development and creativity. 

On his part, the Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Scientific Research UoB, Dr. Mohammed Redha Qadir, explained that the project – which aims to activate scientific research, innovation and invention – is concerned with several parties, foremost of which are universities and their affiliates of researchers, in addition to those supporting the establishment of small and medium enterprises, such as banks and advisory agencies. 

Also, Dr. Qadir said that the process of training employees began through video communication technology, where employees received lessons related to laws, the patent registration system, and what inventions are, expressing his hope to start several projects during the first year of the project’s launch. 

Furthermore, he said: “For us at the University of Bahrain, the rates of scientific research are good, and they are taking an upward trajectory year after year, in addition to having plenty of solid ideas and innovations,” stressing that “the colleges will nominate scientific research that they deem worthy of obtaining a patent, and then the team will proceed to technical evaluate them”.