Intellectual Property Policy as a Tool for Innovations in Universities: The Case of Uganda

Abstract

The study reported in this research, examined the extent, to which Intellectual Property Policy can be used as a tool for innovations in universities. This research study therefore, sought to investigate the current Intellectual Property Policies in Ugandan Universities and how those IP Policies can be used to increase innovations in Universities. Specifically the study aimed at exploring various methods of using intellectual property policies of universities to increase innovations in universities. A total of 55 respondents were purposive selected as a sample and were surveyed, drawn from the following levels: 35 were Masters Students, 10 Principal Investigators and PhD students. The respondents were selected as being those with the optimum information about Intellectual Property Policy in Universities. The actual number of participants was 78 of which 23 participated in the FGD. The findings revealed that the non existence of established methods of increasing innovations using the university intellectual property policies impacted on the perception of principal investigators, in much the same way as it did to the PhD students and Masters students, limiting production of innovations to the usual research carried out within universities. In addition, while some respondents who participated in this study reported that there were some innovations produced within the universities; such attempts were being constrained mainly due to lack of institutionalized systemic methods of using the IP Policies to increase innovations. Consequently, a lot more support inform of establishing a well streamlined and systematic approach using the IP Policy as a tool in the universities is needed. However, the high frequency of suggestions by the different researchers to improve on the working environment for academicians and researchers, because adequate outputs and outcomes are never realized if tools and inputs are insufficient. That all efforts be made to provide adequate facilitation for researchers to do their work and that researchers and innovators should be availed with the necessary tools, equipment and inputs requisite for the proper discharge of their duties and their workplaces should also be comfortable enough and their environments free of stress. The findings reported in this dissertation are a timely response to the current dearth of research literature on particular methods of using an IP Policy as a tool to increase innovations in universities in Uganda.