e-Taalim

The second Science with Africa conference, entitled Science, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, to be held from 23-25 June 2010 in Addis Ababa, will explore policies, measures and mechanisms to meet Africa’s development goals and aspirations by harnessing the potential of entrepreneurship and innovation to transform ideas and technologies into new or improved products, processes and business.

The main objective of the conference is to promote innovation and entrepreneurships to meet development challenge. Specifically, the conference seeks to:

1. Improve linkages between scientific and business communities,
2. Promote private sector investment in science, innovation and enterprise development,
3. Strengthen STI policy-making and the legal and regulatory frameworks
4. Encourage SMEs and scientists to exploit global knowledge resources and,
5. Increase innovation financing mechanisms.

For this reason, the conference will pay special attention to the development of innovative policy tools and measures to build the necessary human capital, STI infrastructure and financial instruments, strategies that target underrepresented groups (e.g. youth women) and create international collaborations.

The conference will offer:

1. Patent Fair where individual researchers and inventors will get tips and advice on and, if needed, simulation of the various stages of obtaining a patent or a utility model. This is co-organized with the African Regional Intellectual Property Rights Organisation (ARIPO).
2. STI Investment Forum will involve a brainstorming session with international venture capitalists and African bankers to discuss the key criteria for funding STI and preparation of projects for funding.
3. Technology transfer and Intellectual Property Rights Clinic will address preparation, structure and assessment of technology transfer agreements, and assessment of the value of intellectual property rights and selection process of the best way to commercialize technological assets.
4. S&T Exhibition
5. Product lunches will include the following:
   1. The African Science, Technology and Innovation Framework
   2. The Network of Technology Development and Transfer