“The 2022-2026 industrial and commercial property strategy, based on our vision for 2035, aims to position industrial and commercial property at the service of a productive, innovative and inclusive national economy.”
Morocco and Switzerland have just sealed a new cooperation agreement on intellectual property. In your view, what motivated this partnership and what do you concretely expect from it?
First of all, it should be stressed that this new agreement is part of the excellent relations between Morocco and Switzerland and the desire of our two countries to further strengthen their partnership in this highly important field.
Indeed, a robust industrial property (IP) system is an essential lever for socio-economic development. Morocco’s New Development Model (NMD) recognises this important role of industrial property in fostering the emergence of a high-performing innovation ecosystem and contributing to the transformation and upgrading of the Moroccan economy.
In this respect, the 2022-2026 industrial and commercial property strategy, based on our vision for 2035, aims to position industrial and commercial property at the service of a productive, innovative and inclusive national economy.
To achieve this strategic vision, OMPIC is working to implement an ambitious and concrete roadmap aimed at stimulating innovation and creativity by facilitating access to intellectual property protection tools for Moroccan innovators, creators and entrepreneurs, which will strengthen the competitiveness of Moroccan companies on national and international markets.
The agreement signed between Morocco and Switzerland, which is being implemented by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) in partnership with OMPIC as the main partner of this cooperation programme, as well as with the other stakeholders, aims to contribute to achieving this objective. As regards industrial property, the agreement focuses mainly on the following areas:
- The legal framework for industrial and commercial property;
- The services provided for the protection and use of industrial and commercial property rights;
- The promotion of industrial property among the various users;
- The enforcement of industrial property rights.
What are the major issues regarding the protection of innovations and creations for Moroccan entrepreneurs, and how could this agreement help them?
To be able to take advantage of the benefits offered by industrial property (IP), it is important to strengthen our innovation ecosystem. To this end, several elements need to be taken into consideration, mainly:
- The legal framework and procedures for protecting industrial property, which must be effective and accessible;
- The development of the skills needed for innovation and industrial property management;
- The relationship between the research community and businesses;
- The existence of incentives to encourage investment in industrial property;
- Funding programmes;
- Mechanisms for defending industrial property rights.
In addition to the services provided to facilitate the use of industrial property tools, it should be stressed that several programmes have been set up to support Moroccan entrepreneurs in using these tools. I can mention the promotion, awareness and training programmes. OMPIC is also developing digital services and setting up a network of service spaces across the different regions of the Kingdom to provide users with local support, in partnership with our partners, notably the regional delegations of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Services and the TISC (Technology and Innovation Support Centers) network, made up of universities, R&D centres, technical centres and business and inventors’ associations throughout the Kingdom.
As can be seen, these projects and initiatives are in line with the Morocco-Switzerland cooperation programme, which will contribute significantly to modernising the tools for protecting industrial and commercial property titles in Morocco and to strengthening promotion and awareness activities for users of the IP system. This cooperation programme will also provide significant support to the stakeholders concerned through the sharing of experience and good practice that will take place throughout this project.
Finally, I am convinced that the results of this project, which, I would like to point out, have been the subject of several exchanges between the various stakeholders in both countries, will benefit everyone.
What challenges are entrepreneurs, creators and researchers currently facing, and what support schemes does OMPIC offer them?
As mentioned earlier, industrial property is a central element for entrepreneurs, creators and researchers. It makes it possible to reward creative efforts and to make investments in research and development pay off. Industrial property can also be an important means of financing. It also offers an invaluable source of information thanks to the dissemination of patent information made possible by the IP system.
For entrepreneurs, creators and researchers, the main challenge is to understand IP tools and integrate them into their investment or research projects.
As an industrial property office, our first mission is to ensure the legal certainty of industrial property assets. This is our sovereign role.
We also have a support role, which consists of providing economic players with a wide range of services enabling them to obtain information, protect themselves and assert their rights over trademarks, designs and patents.
Promoting a culture of industrial and commercial property and strengthening its use within companies is therefore a flagship project for the Office. Likewise, we give priority to developing skills in industrial and commercial property. In this regard, the OMPIC Academy offers a range of training courses enabling companies to acquire the necessary skills in this field.
OMPIC is also involved at various links in the technological innovation value chain, particularly those relating to technology watch, industrial property protection and the commercialisation of inventions.
It is in this context that OMPIC has set up value-added patent services based on the analysis of patent information. The aim is to promote the use of this information among researchers, creators and entrepreneurs.
Finally, I would like to mention the bank of innovative projects and the IP Marketplace platform (https://www.ipmarketplace.ma), which we launched last March and which is a digital platform serving all innovation players, offering in particular services for the commercial exploitation of patents.