Paper/Proposal Title
Integrating Traditional Culltural Expressions (TCE) and Indigenous Traditional Knowledge Sysetms (TK) in Social and Economic Policy for Sustainable Development
Location
M2320
Start Date
November 2023
End Date
November 2023
Keywords
Integrating Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCE) and Indigenous Traditional Knoweledge (TK) Systems in Social and Economic Policy for Sustainable Development
Abstract
Intellectual property contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in various ways. Most African economies are based on extractive industries. This creates a situation where developing economies are suppliers of raw materials to industrialized economies and importers of manufactured goods. Intellectual property coupled with an increased awareness of the importance of intellectual capital and intangible assets creates a situation where Africans and other developing economies are realizing that natural resources alone are not really wealth. There is a need for value addition and beneficiation of natural resources. There are good initiatives such as the development of the automobile industry in Ghana and Nigeria and the exportation of branded foods products such as chilly from Rwanda. In addition to traditional intellectual property protection mechanisms such as copyright, Related Rights, Patents, Industrial Designs, Trademarks, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has included in intellectual property indigenous knowledge, cultural expression and folklore. In this way, cultural expressions such as Kente cloth patterns from Ghana, Burundian drums, traditional ways of rearing animals, knowledge of medicinal plants, methods of food conservation and natural processes such as thermal waters which are believed to have therapeutic effects can be protected as intellectual property of communities. This is a paradigm shift from the traditional Western approach where Intellectual Property was subjected to individual proprietorship. The exploitation of intellectual property creates employment and generates revenue through IP exploitation i.e. selling and licensing, franchising, merchandising, joint ventures and strategic alliances. Intellectual property can actually be used as collateral to get a loan from financial institutions and it is increasingly taken into account in the valuation of companies. These initiatives contributes to SDGs especially SDG 9 industry, innovation and infrastructure but also to SDG 8 which is decent work and economic growth. Intellectual Property can be management through Common Management Organisations (CMOs).
Author/Speaker Biographical Statement(s)
Dr Stanislas Bigirimana is a systems scientist with expertise in Intellectual Property, Business Intelligence, Management Information Systems, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, International Marketing, Organisational Behaviour, Public Sector Management, Cybernetics, and Dynamic and Integrative Epistemology. He holds the grade of Doctor of Philosophy from the Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg (Germany), a Masters in Intellectual Property (World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)- Africa University) , a Master’s in Business Intelligence (Chinhoyi University of Technology), an MBA and an MA. He is a senior lecturer at Africa University Mutare, Zimbabwe and co-founder and co-owner of Code Empire. Code Empire is a software development company based in Harare, Zimbabwe Dr Bigirimana’s current research interests include Integrating Non-Conventional Intellectual Property Assets in Agricultural and Social Policy for Sustainable Development, The valuation and Exploitation of Intangible Assets, Intellectual Property Rights Protection in New Plant Varieties and Traditional Knowledge Systems, Applications of the viable system model (VSM), Transitioning Institutions of Higher Education towards Education 5.0.
Integrating Traditional Culltural Expressions (TCE) and Indigenous Traditional Knowledge Sysetms (TK) in Social and Economic Policy for Sustainable Development
M2320
Intellectual property contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in various ways. Most African economies are based on extractive industries. This creates a situation where developing economies are suppliers of raw materials to industrialized economies and importers of manufactured goods. Intellectual property coupled with an increased awareness of the importance of intellectual capital and intangible assets creates a situation where Africans and other developing economies are realizing that natural resources alone are not really wealth. There is a need for value addition and beneficiation of natural resources. There are good initiatives such as the development of the automobile industry in Ghana and Nigeria and the exportation of branded foods products such as chilly from Rwanda. In addition to traditional intellectual property protection mechanisms such as copyright, Related Rights, Patents, Industrial Designs, Trademarks, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has included in intellectual property indigenous knowledge, cultural expression and folklore. In this way, cultural expressions such as Kente cloth patterns from Ghana, Burundian drums, traditional ways of rearing animals, knowledge of medicinal plants, methods of food conservation and natural processes such as thermal waters which are believed to have therapeutic effects can be protected as intellectual property of communities. This is a paradigm shift from the traditional Western approach where Intellectual Property was subjected to individual proprietorship. The exploitation of intellectual property creates employment and generates revenue through IP exploitation i.e. selling and licensing, franchising, merchandising, joint ventures and strategic alliances. Intellectual property can actually be used as collateral to get a loan from financial institutions and it is increasingly taken into account in the valuation of companies. These initiatives contributes to SDGs especially SDG 9 industry, innovation and infrastructure but also to SDG 8 which is decent work and economic growth. Intellectual Property can be management through Common Management Organisations (CMOs).
