Start-up businesses need intellectual property help, UN agency says

Facilities designed to assist businesses must have expertise in copyrights, patents and other intellectual property issues, the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) said today.

WIPO was reporting on its three-day seminar, also sponsored by the International Association of Science Park, held this week for the management of these parks as well as 'business incubators' - which help technology-based companies.

The seminar included training on licensing and technology transfer, practical advice on conducting licensing negotiations and a session on how to cull technical, legal and commercial information from patent databases, WIPO said.

"Science parks are much more than real estate operations," said WIPO's Guriqbal Singh Jaiya. "They are increasingly key providers of business development services to their clients and tenants and IP is one of the most crucial areas in which technology-based businesses and R&D (research and development) institutions will need professional support."

"In today's knowledge economy, it is important for the management of science parks and incubators to have a good understanding of intellectual property in order to provide tenants with a solid front-line support to meet their most urgent business needs," he added.

A science park stimulates and manages the flow of knowledge among universities, R&D institutions, companies and markets. It facilitates the creation and growth of innovation-based companies through incubation and spin-off processes, while a business incubator produces successful and financially viable businesses.