The fundamental mission of Sokoine University of Agriculture is teaching, research, service (extension, outreach and consultancy), to advance knowledge and serve the public. In the pursuit to its mission, new creations, innovations and discoveries often result to situations that require intellectual property protection.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) today commands much attention globally than ever before. The knowledge-led economy is based on the protection of Intellectual Property (IP) products. Intellectual property protection facilitates technology development and transfer within /from outside a nation.
All countries have recognized the importance of technology in the socio-economic development of a country. Much more emphasis is being put on the new and emerging technologies, such as biotechnology. Both in the development and adoption of technology there are different types of resources and also existing legal and regulatory frameworks, which should be taken into consideration.
When activities in research and development produce commodities of commercial value at an industrial scale, the sharing between parties of the economic benefits arising there from can be a cause of serious controversies in the absence of a policy to guide the management of such benefits. This has prompted many countries and R&D institutions in the world to develop IPR policies aimed at guiding the process and procedures for managing the protection of the IP generated.
In order for R&D institutions to sustain innovations, harmonious working conditions and formalized agreements with industry on ownership of developed knowledge and sharing of benefits accruing from commercialization of research results have to be worked out.
Cognizant of the role that protection of IP rights have to play in optimizing returns on investments in research, SUA has directed through its Corporate Strategic Plan to the year 2005 the development and implementation of an IPR and Technology Transfer System. This IPR Policy is a development in the implementation of that goal.