Stories and insights
A collection of materials, including success stories, video interviews and articles, from universities and PATLIB centres involved in the Knowledge Transfer to Africa initiative. These resources offer a glimpse into their experiences and highlight the positive impact the initiative is having on their knowledge-sharing journeys
Twinning – The power of partnership
- Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) and PATLIB Birmingham
In April 2024, Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) commenced the twinning partnership phase of the Knowledge Transfer to Africa (KT2A) initiative in collaboration with the PATLIB Centre in Birmingham, UK.
At the PATLIB 2024 annual conference in September 2024, Technology Transfer Officer and KT2A initiative focal point at MUST Zalerapi Chirwa Mhango, and Business and IP Advisor at the PATLIB Centre in the Patent Library, Business and IP Centre in Birmingham Paramjit Hans presented insights into the rewards reaped by both institutions during the twinning phase so far.
MUST patent filings on the risePatent filings by MUST have increased significantly since joining the initiative, mainly driven by the IP awareness programmes and events offered via the KT2A initiative.
"With the assistance of the PATLIB Centre in Birmingham, UK, our university has successfully launched an innovation that had been in development for over four years." - Zalerapi Chirwa Mhango, Technology Transfer Officer at MUST
Technologies commercialised
MUST expressed gratitude for the insights shared by the PATLIB Centre on how university institutions can collaborate with development partners to successfully bring their inventions to market. MUST has secured commercialisation funding for some of its projects through the Ministry for Youth and is applying for further funding initiatives to support other technologies in the pipeline, including the establishment of its industrial parks. The support of the PATLIB Centre has enabled the university to engage in a successful transfer of technologies to society.
Lessons from Africa
"The model used by African universities to innovate is distinct and more coordinated. This could be applied in the UK, where the focus is on individual innovation and universities support the commercialisation of that innovation." - Paramjit Hans, Business and Intellectual Property Advisor at PATLIB Birmingham
Paramjit noted that, while there are numerous organisations offering support for business start-ups and growth, there is a lack of awareness among these organisations of the importance of intellectual property. This highlights the importance of building a network of supporters to ensure the successful transfer of technologies, with which a PATLIB centre such as Birmingham can be of assistance.
MUST supports youth developmentMUST is the only university in Malawi offering IP services to university students, community innovators, and primary and secondary schools. With the youngest population in the world, Africa presents a significant opportunity for growth and innovation. The university's objective is to establish youth-led start-up companies that will facilitate development of new career pathways for future generations.
- University of Tunis El Manar (UTM) and PATLIB Strasbourg
Since joining the Knowledge Transfer to Africa (KT2A) initiative in 2022, the Higher Institute of Applied Biological Sciences and the University of Tunis El Manar (UTM) have steadily expanded its capacity to support innovation and intellectual property (IP) management. Entering the twinning phase in 2024, UTM partnered with PATLIB Strasbourg (INPI France), leading to tangible progress in IP training as well as faculty and student engagement.
UTM raises IP awareness
Key activities in the twinning included multiple on-site visits by INPI attaché for North Africa, who delivered targeted IP awareness sessions to UTM’s student entrepreneurs and their academic mentors. His practical workshops on pre-diagnostic IP assessments were especially impactful, offering early-stage innovators guidance on identifying and protecting their intellectual assets.
Building on this, UTM’s student entrepreneurship hub, P2E-UTM, hosted a four-part online training in June 2025. Led by KT2A French-speaking mentor, the sessions explored core IP patent information concepts, including a module dedicated to Espacenet and its key search features. A hands-on session enabled participants to begin patent monitoring and to explore innovation valorisation strategies. Local experts from INNORPI also provided crucial insights into Tunisia’s IP filing processes and national support systems.
Partnerships move forward
Thanks to the KT2A twinning, UTM has made measurable strides in embedding IP culture within its academic environment. The university acknowledges its partners at PATLIB Strasbourg, INPI, INNORPI, and the broader KT2A network for their continued support in fostering a sustainable innovation ecosystem. Looking ahead, UTM aims to further expand its IP support services by deepening collaboration with PATLIB Strasbourg and engaging more students and researchers in innovation valorisation.
The KT2A focal point at UTM said: “We are very pleased with this twinning, particularly because it provided in-person support for our target audience in a language they are most comfortable with. The IP pre-diagnostic workshop [...] was especially valuable in guiding students on how to approach IP protection.”
Impacts and benefits
- Egypt: Nile University (NiU)
Dr. Heba Kaoud, Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Management of Technology at Nile University, describes how the KT2A training offer was deeply effective in raising the awareness of IP not only in her own faculty but across the academic community. She explains how the support and expertise gained through the KT2A initiative has helped establish a strong foundation for IP and technology commercialisation in her university and strongly recommends other African universities to join the initiative.
- Ghana: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
KNUST’s Intellectual Property Unit: A Story of Growth, Innovation, and Global Collaboration
At the heart of Ghana’s premier science and technology university, a quiet revolution is underway, transforming how research is protected, commercialised, and shared with the world. The Intellectual Property Unit (IPUK) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), under the Office of Grants and Research, has emerged as a national leader in intellectual property (IP) management and technology transfer. However, this transformation didn’t happen in isolation. It was catalysed by a partnership with the European Patent Office (EPO) through its PATLIB Knowledge Transfer to Africa (KT2A) initiative.
The KT2A initiative, which revolves around three core activities: training, mentoring, and twinning, has been instrumental in shaping the Unit’s journey. When KNUST joined the programme, the university was already committed to building a strong IP culture. However, the structured support from EPO provided the tools, knowledge, and global perspective needed to elevate its efforts to new heights.
The first breakthrough came through training. Leveraging EPO’s online learning platform, the Unit’s staff and newly appointed IP representatives from all six colleges of the university were enrolled in a series of curated courses. These modules covered a wide range of topics, including patent information and landscape analysis, as well as commercialisation strategies and IP portfolio management. The training was not only comprehensive but also practically designed to meet the unique needs of African institutions. As a result, participants didn’t just learn; they became trainers themselves, cascading their knowledge to colleagues, students, and researchers across the university. This ripple effect helped embed IP awareness into the academic fabric of KNUST.
The training marked only the beginning. While the Unit anticipates receiving strategic guidance through mentoring to enhance its internal systems and align operations with international best practices, these outcomes are yet to be fully realised. With expected support from EPO, the Unit looks forward to developing standard operating procedures for patent search and classification, and crafting commercialisation pathways tailored to faculty and researchers' needs. The mentoring is also expected to strengthen the Unit’s governance, including formalising roles for IP representatives and integrating IP into departmental strategies.
As the Unit grew, it started preparing for the third pillar of KT2A: twinning. This new phase will see KNUST partner with European PATLIB centres to exchange knowledge, co-develop tools, and build institutional capacity. For KNUST, this is not just a learning chance but also an opportunity to help the global innovation community as a peer and collaborator.
The results are already clear. The Unit has handled ten (10) invention disclosures, filed its first patent at ARIPO, and launched multiple commercialisation projects. It has also begun developing the KNUST Innovation Mall, a digital platform to showcase university technologies and connect with industry partners. Meanwhile, the university-wide IP audit supported by a custom data collection system is helping KNUST inventory its innovation assets and plan strategically for the future.
Beyond KT2A, the Unit has taken leadership roles in other global initiatives. It manages the WIPO Text and Data Mining (TDM) Project in Ghana, one of only three African universities chosen for the pilot. It also hosts a Technology and Innovation Support Centre (TISC) under WIPO’s programme, boosting its capacity to serve the university and the national innovation ecosystem.
Throughout it all, the support from the EPO has been essential. The KT2A initiative didn’t just provide training modules or mentoring; it provided a vision of what African universities can reach when given the right tools and partnerships. For KNUST, that vision is becoming real.
As the university prepares to begin the mentoring and twinning phase, it does so with confidence, experience, and a fresh purpose. The Intellectual Property Unit is no longer just a support office; it is a strategic driver of innovation, commercialisation, and global collaboration.Thanks to the EPO’s KT2A initiative, its story is just beginning.
- Malawi: Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST)
Zalerapi Chirwa Mhango, Technology Transfer Officer at MUST, shares how the KT2A initiative revitalised the university’s technology transfer office, allowed expanded outreach to secondary schools and opened up new funding opportunities. She also provides several practical tips to promote participants’ engagement in training.
- South Africa: Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT)
CPUT was one of the first institutions to join the KT2A initiative. Revel Iyer, Director of Technology Transfer and Industry Linkages at CPUT, reflects on the university’s journey and highlights the initiative’s wide range of high-quality and flexible learning materials.
- South Africa: Walter Sisulu University (WSU)
Mpumelelo Nkomo, former Technology Transfer Manager at WSU, shares the university’s progress from early KT2A participation to the twinning phase. He emphasises the positive impact the initiative had, enhancing IP awareness and supporting IP commercialisation through training, twinning and highly effective collaboration.