Harare Institute of Technology's new tech transfer office is currently preparing documents to secure its policy base after assisting president Emmerson Mnangagwa's "100-day" drive earlier this year.
Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) has launched a tech transfer office (TTO) dubbed the Technology Transfer, Commercialization and Licensing Centre (TTCLC), 263chat has reported.
TTCLC is Zimbabwe’s first standalone tech transfer office, with responsibility for commercialisation activities including intellectual property, licensing and invention disclosures.
The unit is also expected to take care of joint venture partnerships with external parties and all venture capital-related affairs for projects emerging from HIT’s academic and research departments.
At present, TTCLC is establishing the policy base required to secure HIT’s intellectual property with a view to completing key documents before the third quarter of 2018.
Matters at stake include the finer details of its approach to royalties, inventions and copyright for student projects.
TTCLC’s formation comes as Zimbabwe begins life under president Emmerson Mnangagwa, who replaced the deposed Robert Mugabe after nearly four-decades of the latter’s rule in 2017.
The TTO was involved in Mnangagwa’s “100-day” policy initiative, steering through 23 projects at the beginning of his presidency designed to demonstrate his commitment to change in Zimbabwe.
