WIPO-ARIPO hosts 2025 TISC regional meeting in Harare

The meeting marked a renewed commitment to fostering innovation and bridging the digital divide across Africa. The event was jointly organised by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO), with financial support from the Japan Patent Office (JPO) through its Funds-in-Trust programme.

The opening ceremony featured remarks from key stakeholders, including the deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Japan in Zimbabwe Hiroyuki Kumagai, who represented the JPO, Industrial Property information officer in WIPO’s TISC development section Elangi Ituku Botoy, WIPO director general representative Daren Tang and ARIPO’s director general Bemanya Twebaze.

“As Africa aspires and indeed moves towards a knowledge-based status, the availability of technological information is crucial for that transition,” Twebaze said.

He also drew attention to the deepening digital divide, calling for urgent action to ensure equitable access. “Access to technological information is becoming increasingly important, but there is also a growing digital divide between those with access to the information and those without it. This must change. New technologies could be transformative for sustainable development and evidence-based decision-making, as they offer better solutions that are also more affordable and more scalable,” he said.

Kumagai highlighted the value of international collaboration and cross-regional learning. “Successful cases from TISC networks in regions other than ARIPO will be presented. I believe that sharing best practices across regions will help strengthen the TISC network in the ARIPO region,” he said, reaffirming the JPO’s dedication to advancing intellectual property capacity in the Global South.

The workshop featured representatives from ARIPO Member and Observer States, offering a platform to review progress, share experiences, address challenges, and devise strategies for strengthening national TISC networks. Since its inception in 2018, the TISC programme has aimed to support innovators in developing countries by providing access to high-quality, locally relevant technological information and related services.