Geographical Indication (GI) options for Ethiopian Coffee and Ghanaian Cocoa

Innovation & Intellectual Property
intervention among researchers. The quality of the research base, innovation
and the availability of companies willing and able to incorporate research were
identified by researchers as major incentives for commercialising IP.
The key priorities identified by the researchers related to an improved scholarly
setting. Researchers want: the right academic environment (77.5%); innovation
(66.5%); openness in sharing information from research (58.6%); and an increase
in the amount of funds allocated to research (55.7%). These findings correspond
with the findings of other studies (Altschuld and Zheng, 1995; Jordan et al., 2003;
Ransley and Rogers, 1994; Ulwadia, 1990). It is thus important that an academic
environment is created which includes: a reduced teaching load; availability and
accessibility of research resources, including publications; and an IP environment
that balances commercialisation efforts with encouragement of open sharing of
research data and findings. University and PRO roles in research are measured
in terms of attracting more students, retaining good scientists, and enhancing
access to additional research and development funding opportunities. The extent
to which they are able to accomplish this role depends on their ability to create
the enabling and conducive environment cited as necessary by the majority of
respondents to this study. Universities and PROs need to have guaranteed levels
of research funding and strong links with funding agencies. Universities and
PROs should take an active role in IP management by, inter alia, establishing clear
and realistic objectives, ensuring adequate resources and setting up dedicated,
professional technology transfer offices (TTOs). Creating awareness of existing
IP policies at institutions should be prioritised.
At the same time, the study found that researchers believe that value from
publicly funded research can be improved by openness in sharing information
from research (58.6%). Access to research data was seen by the respondents as
likely to increase the returns from public investment and reinforce open scientific
inquiry. This is in line with the OECD view that openness encourages diversification
of study and intellectual opinion by researchers, promoting the exploration
of topics that had not been envisioned (OECD, 2007). According to the OECD,
research policies, practices, support systems and cultural values all affect the
nature of new discoveries, the rate at which they are made and the degree to which
they are made accessible and used. Sharing and open access to publicly funded
research data help not only to maximise research potential, but also to provide
greater returns from public investment in research. Open publication or display
of knowledge should be seen as an essential aspect of publicly funded science.
Publications expand opportunities for access to the knowledge and skills of the
scientific community, as created and supported by public investment in research
(Dasgupta and David, 1994; Salter and Martin, 2001).
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