Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) launched the African Conference on the Strategic Importance of Intellectual Property Policies to Foster Innovation, Value Creation and Competitiveness in Dar es Salaam on 12-13 March, 2013.
The two-day conference take on issues such as Africa’s development challenges and promoting an innovative environment.
In his opening speech, President Kikwete said, “leveraging and protecting Intellectual Property (IP) such as patents, copyrights and other similar forms is a key factor of promoting socio-economic growth and development of nations. It encourages innovation, invention and development of new technologies. It promotes both domestic and foreign investment, facilitates technology transfer and increases agricultural and industrial production.”
The conference reaches Tanzania timely, when the country progresses its policies to accommodate the various challenges that will face the economy as it embraces the findings of natural gas and further steers the sectors of mining, banking, tourism and agriculture to advancement.
Effective and strategic use of IP will accelerate the socio-economic development of Tanzania and assist it attain rapid economic development.
