The ICAR-CTCRI has celebrated the World Intellectual Property Day under the theme “IP and the SDGs: Building our common future with innovation and creativity” by organising multiple programmes in this week. The World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated on April 26 every year to spread awareness about intellectual property (IP) rights and how it encourages innovation and creativity to drive human progress. A strong Intellectual Property Portfolio comprising of patents, designs, copyrights, and trademarks signify the innovative and creative research achievements of a research establishment having potential to catalyse a social change. With this view, the ICAR-CTCRI has stared the World IP Day celebrations with an “IP Talk” by Er. S. Balram, Scientist G (Senior Grade) and CEO, SCTIMST - TiMED incubator. This programme began with avibrant presidential address by Dr. G. Byju, Director of ICAR-CTCRI who emphasised the need for protecting significant scientific outputs through the IP window established in various countries. He advocated the need for strengthening the IP awareness and practice through functional collaboration with various agencies. The Chief guest of the programme, Dr. Balram has narrated on how the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technologyhas laid out its “IP Path” and created dynamic startups using the “life-saving technologies” developed at the Institute. He described the key incubation strategies followed by TiMED in creating and nurturing startups through a collaborative platform. About 79 scientists, research scholars and students participated in the IP Talk.Alongside the IP Talk, the ICAR-CTCRI Agri-Business Incubator (ICAR-CTCRI ABI) has organised a two days“Workshop on technology commercialisation and licensing” for the students of College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellayani to equip them with critical skills in converting IP resources into commercialisable technologies. Dr. P. Sethuraman Sivakumar, Principal Scientist and In charge of ICAR-CTCRI ABI has conducted skill training sessions on IP portfolio management as well as technology licensing - IP valuation and licensing, to 23 agricultural students. The celebrations ended with a student interaction with ICAR-CTCRI scientists on technology showcasing at the ICAR-CTCRI ABI.
