Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports observed the World Innovation and Intellectual Property Day with the theme “Women in Innovation and Creativity”.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti confirmed the continuous support of the Government for innovation and in particular for women, mentioning the direct actions that intervene and influence the economy towards equality and development, and also emphasized the importance of protecting intellectual property. He stated that support for women entrepreneurs is an investment, so it is not only the empowerment of women in business, but the empowerment of the economy in general.
The Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari, expressed her belief in the principles of inclusiveness and equality as drivers of socio-economic development and democracy of a nation, emphasizing the increasing participation of women in the fields of study in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and that as successful entrepreneurs with creative and innovative ideas, they are creating and leaving a visible mark on the economy of Kosovo.
Given that small and medium-sized enterprises make up about 90% of the global market share, Minister Hajdari emphasized the special importance of considering intellectual property as an indivisible element in the economy, now that we know that physical wealth, which has determined the value of a business, has been replaced by intellectual property in the century of technology and the industrial revolution.
In order to encourage Innovation and Creativity and develop Industrial Property as the main branch of Intellectual Property, Minister Hajdari went on to talk about the role of government support with sound policies and financial and technical instruments for innovative creators. She informed the attendees about the drafting of the Industrial Property Programme with the 5 laws and 7 relevant by-laws now in force, through which the general environment for the development of industrial property in Kosovo has been improved and with the aim of Kosovo's membership in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which will pave the way for membership in the European Patent Office (EPO).
She further informed about the current processes in the drafting of the legal framework for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Creation of the Innovation Fund, as well as the supporting instruments for the Digitization of Industry in a smart industrial system for the integration of new technologies, government financial assistance for construction and the proper functioning of technology parks and the creation of innovation and entrepreneurship centres, as well as clusters and other common spaces with the aim of developing human capacities, benefiting from new knowledge and skills for many entrepreneurs, to lead the industry and to accelerate the ecosystem development with increased innovation.
Minister Hajdari shared the good news about the start and conclusion of the negotiations for the signing of the agreement with the European Union on May 11, 2023, for participation in the "Common Market" programme in the amount of 4.2 billion euros for the period 2021-2027, through which our micro, small and medium (SME) enterprises can apply to open calls, as a great benefit opportunity for our innovators' businesses.
The Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Daulina Osmani, informed the attendees about the drafting of the legal framework on copyright and expressed her respect for women as the driving force of innovation and creativity, who with their work in various profiles, have made important contributions in various fields of intellectual property, despite challenges and difficulties.
Today's event ended with a panel discussion on the policies, measures and actions of the government, businesses and non-governmental organizations, on Intellectual Property and the promotion of Innovation and Creativity. Participants of this panel were Mentor Arifaj, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade (MIET), Isa Dukaj, deputy Director General of the MIET Industrial Property Agency, Zjarrta Osmani, Director of the MYCS Copyright Office, Luljeta Plakolli – Kosumi, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law, Ermal Sadiku, Link Plus CEO and STIKK Board Chair, Blerta Thaçi, Open Data Kosova CEO, Teuta Sahatçiu, Ambassador “Women in Tech Kosova”, Vatra Abrashi, Director of Autostrada Biennale, and Laura Zherka, Director of the MIET Innovation Department.
Intellectual property includes all exclusive rights to intellectual creations. It includes two types of rights: Industrial Property, which covers inventions (patents), trademarks, designs & industrial designs, and designations of origin, as well as copyright, which protects artistic and literary property.
