Seven years ago, intellectual property was almost unknown within our university community. Students, researchers, and young entrepreneurs seldom considered IP as a tool to protect or strengthen their projects. With the launch of our first University IP Policy — developed by our team in collaboration with WIPO experts — we initiated a series of awareness caravans across faculties and incubation spaces. These caravans became a turning point.
At first, participants were simply discovering what patents, trademarks, or copyrights could mean for them. Today, they are integrating IP as a strategic pillar of their entrepreneurial journey. Project holders now consult our CATI systematically to assess novelty, avoid third-party infringement, and design multi-layered protection strategies combining patents, trademarks, and copyright.
This cultural shift has produced tangible results: the university moved from zero patents to seven granted patents and around thirty applications filed in just five years. Beyond numbers, the greatest achievement is the mindset transformation — from unawareness to confident mastery of IP procedures.
Through Global Entrepreneurship Week, we
Beyond this transformative evolution in IP culture, our CATI has played a central role in strengthening entrepreneurial capabilities across the university. Over the past years, we have developed a structured program of capacity-building activities designed to equip innovators with the practical skills needed to navigate intellectual property systems and integrate them into their business strategies. Our training sessions include hands-on workshops on patent drafting, where participants learn how to articulate claims, describe their inventions, and understand patentability criteria. We also guide them in conducting effective searches in international patent databases and demonstrate how patent information can be used not only to assess novelty, but also to monitor competitors, identify technological trends, and shape future research directions.
Each year, our CATI actively celebrates World Intellectual Property Day by aligning our activities with the annual WIPO theme. These celebrations serve as a platform to connect young entrepreneurs, researchers, and local stakeholders, while emphasizing the role of IP in fostering creativity and innovation-driven development. We design interactive sessions, conferences, and exhibitions featuring student projects that illustrate how intellectual property can unlock new opportunities when embedded early in the innovation process.
To deepen engagement and measure progress, we also launched internal IP challenges aimed at assessing the innovation potential of different faculties and research teams. These competitions encourage students and researchers to reflect on novelty, market relevance, and protection strategies. They also help reveal overlooked inventive outputs within laboratories, many of which later evolve into patent applications or pre-incubation projects.
Our ability to deliver these initiatives is strengthened by solid expertise in intellectual property. As the head of our CATI, I have completed more than ten WIPO certificates in various IP fields, including patents, technology transfer, and innovation management, along with a Training-of-Trainers (TOT) certification. This background enables us to provide accurate guidance, respond to complex questions, and build training programs aligned with international standards.
Taken together, these activities have contributed to a thriving environment where IP is no longer perceived as an abstract legal concept but as a practical, empowering tool for entrepreneurial success. By combining education, engagement, expert support, and strategic alignment with global IP initiatives, our CATI continues to shape an ecosystem where innovation can grow with confidence and long-term vision.