Institute signs Agreement With Konza Technopolis
Photo: John Onyango (Right), the Institute’s Managing Director, and John Paul Okwiri, KoTDA Chief Executive Officer, signing the MoU documents
Nairobi: 25th November, 2024: The Institute has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) under which a Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) will be established at Konza (Konza Technopolis).
John Onyango, the Institute’s Managing Director, said smart cities, such as the Konza Technopolis, create a conducive environment for inventive and innovative activities, which in turn have the potential to drive green industrialization.
“We, as an Institute, are happy to enter into this collaboration with the Authority because the innovators, businesses and other intellectual property (IP) producers including universities and research institutions who are setting up their operations here at Konza will need support to come up with new inventions and innovations and facilitation to protect their IP rights,” said Onyango.
John Paul Okwiri, KoTDA Chief Executive Officer, said the Konza Technology and Innovation Support Center (KTISC) will provide a ready pool of science and technical experts with competence to conduct patent search, patent drafting as well assist in patent prosecution and benefits from IP capacity building interventions of KIPI which will result in increased IP creation, protection and commercialization of their inventions.
"The KTISC will offer the following services: intellectual property awareness and education, patents and trade marks registration assistance; technology commercialization support; and opportunities for networking and collaborations" Okwiri said during the MOU signing ceremony held on the sidelines of the Kenya Innovation Week (KIW) 2024 held at the Edge Convention Centre, Nairobi.
The Government set up Konza, a flagship Vision 2030 project, as a sustainable, world-class smart city, serving as the continent’s technology hub and major economic driver for the nation, with a vibrant mix of businesses, residences and urban amenities.