During a two day Workshop at the University of Belgrade- financed through an EU project - crucial issues related to the functioning of the new Technology Transfer Office and to the Management of Intellectual Property were considered, as well as solutions that are already applied in Europe and the region. The draft model of Intellectual Property policy was created.

On 18-19 January, a workshop on Intellectual Property Policy took place in the newly opened Centre for Technology Transfer at the University of Belgrade.

The workshop was organised by the University in co-operation with Intellectual property office of the Republic of Serbia and was financed by the EU project ‘Support to the Education and information centre of the Intellectual property office of Serbia'.

This project, which is funded through a donation of the EU worth 2 million € and implemented by the European patent office, is helping to set up the Centre for Technology transfer at the University of Belgrade by providing expertise and training for its staff and equipment for the office.

The workshop was opened by the Vice-rector of the University of Belgrade, prof. Dr Marko Ivetić, the State secretary of the Ministry of science and technological development prof. Dr Miloš Nedeljković, the Head of Economic and European integration section at the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, Mr. Alberto Cammarata, director of the Intellectual Property Office Ms. Branka Totić as well as project director at the European patent office Dr David Jelerčič. The workshop was attended by 40 representatives from faculties and research institutes of the University of Belgrade.

’The EU is glad to support the set up of the technology transfer office at the University of Belgrade. This is an important step in Serbia’s reform in the area of Intellectual property as it will encourage the transfer of technology between researchers and companies with a potential interest in the industrialisation of the research results.

This is a crucial element for the sustainability of research in universities (as technology transfer offices have the potential to generate financial resources through the licensing of patents) and a great stimulus to discovery and invention, said Alberto Cammarata, Head of Economic and European integration section at the EU Delegation to Serbia.

The debate during the workshop was moderated by Dr Chris Moody, managing consultant from ISIS Innovation, a specialised organization for technology transfer of the Oxford University. ISIS Innovation will assist the Centre for Technology Transfer to harmonise with the European and global practice in this domain.

Dr Moody said that the establishment of the technology transfer office at the University of Belgrade is an exciting step to encourage research and entrepreneurship in the region. 'The benefits of this project will be to create new opportunities and jobs as a result of commercializing the many creative ideas from the University. This project, funded by the European Union, will be a model for universities within Serbia and the region’.

The debate related to the next activities of the Centre for Technology Transfer which will be to draft documents defining the policy and regulating Intellectual Property management and transfer of technology at the University of Belgrade.

Apart from defining the ownership of Intellectual Property assets at the University, the documents will define obligations, rights and basis for revenue shares of the inventors, faculties, research institute and University, as well as protection procedures, market value and commercialisation of IP and the results of scientific work at the University.

The results of this workshop will be used for the preparation of the University Intellectual Property policy, which will define principals of implementation and foresee the procedures in filing, protection, promotion and commercialisation of the intellectual property and research results at the University of Belgrade and its members.