On June 4-5 this year, at the Academy of Sciences of Moldova was held the Workshop entitled “Cooperation between Universities and Business Environment – Knowledge and Technology Transfer, organized by the Agency for Innovation and Technology Transfer in cooperation with partners of the “TecTNet” Tempus Project, project in the implementation of which participates the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI).

The workshop was aimed at addressing the various aspects of the innovation and technology transfer process, presentation of TecTNet project activities and providing a platform for exchange of information, experiences and knowledge on the management of technology transfer from the C & D sector to business.

The event was opened by Mr. Roman Chirca, Director General of AITT who welcomed the participants and reiterated the importance of such events for the promotion of national intellectual values and placement thereof in the service of economic development and welfare of the country. In her speech, Mrs. Lilia Bolocan, Director General of AGEPI, focused on the role of intellectual property as a fundamental tool in creating an environment conducive to innovation, creativity and free competition for economic, social and cultural development of the country. Mrs. L. Bolocan made reference to the enormous potential the patent information offers in the development of new and competitive products and services, bringing as models of development based on massive exploitation of knowledge and technologies found in patent documents and other information sources.

The workshop continued with the presentation of the masters program in the field of Innovation and Technology Transfer, program, which the four universities of the Republic of Moldova (SUM, TUM, UASM, and SUARB) will jointly implement under this project. In this context, in a solemn ceremony, rectors of said universities have signed a Cooperation Agreement on joint implementation of the nominated masters program.

In the sessions that followed, representatives from EU universities (University “Sannio” in Benevento, Italy, Technical University “Gh. Asachi” of Iasi, Romania, Technical University of Košice and Lisbon Technical University), and experts within organizations to support innovative business environment (AITT, SMEDO, CCI) shared their experience and best practices gained in the development of successful university-business partnerships. An example in this regard was presented by the company “Draxelmaier”, which has transferred, since 2008, part of the auto cabling production in the Free Economic Zone of Balti, and for local engineering staffing of the new plants, has concluded a partnership Agreement with the University “Al. Russo” of Balti, which will prepare engineers of the specialty “Mechanical engineering industry”. Mr. Iurie Badar, Head of the Economics and Finance Department, AGEPI, presented to the participants in the workshop the opportunities offered by the intellectual property objects as innovative business development tools.