NEW DELHI, JULY 25 :  Over 73 representatives of Atal Incubation Centres (AIC) from across the country participated in a national workshop on Intellectual Property (IP) in Innovation at IP University.

The workshop was organised by Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), featuring addresses from several renowned national and international experts.

Earlier, a Joint Letter of Intent (JLoI) was signed between AIM and WIPO in the presence of Dharmendra Pradhan, Cabinet Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The agreement aims to develop programmes for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Intellectual Property (IP) for countries in the Global South.

Padma Shri Prof Mahesh Verma, Vice Chancellor of GGSIPU, asserted in his keynote address that “entrepreneurship and innovation are the two new frontiers for our ecosystem.” He emphasised the need to “apply things differently to turn them into tangible products and services” and highlighted IP University as a “hub for networking and multidisciplinary research.”

Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, AIM, informed the attendees that over 73 AICs are operational nationwide. He recounted how the first Atal centre, established by Jyoti Institution of Technology in Bangalore, trained 100 other engineering colleges to open incubation centres. He noted that “academia is our primary target” and mentioned that over 11 million children are engaged through Atal Tinkering Labs.

Sherif Saadallah, Executive Director of WIPO Academy, stated, “India recorded the fastest growth in innovation during 2011 to 2020,” highlighting the country’s strategic emergence in the IP sector. He reiterated WIPO’s commitment to nurturing the next generation. According to the GII 2023 report, India retained the 40th position among 132 economies. The WIPO Report 2022 indicated that India has experienced six consecutive years of growth in patent filings, with a notable 31.6% increase in 2022, driven mainly by a substantial rise in resident filings.

Atal Innovation Mission, a flagship initiative by NITI Aayog, aims to create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across India. The AIM ecosystem, supported by Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) in schools and Atal Incubation Centres (AIC) in higher education institutions, is seen as a successful model for fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.(UNI)