AMMAN - “ What we want to hear is that the next Google, Cisco, Nokia and Samsung is coming from this region – Arab region- and I have no doubts about the capabilities of our talent and I believe this is inevitable. What we lack is a system that puts things in the right order,” HRH Princess Sumaya said in her opening remarks at the fourth Annual Conference on Technology Commercialization “Technology Transfer Research and Development (R&D) and IP Commercialization, Policies, and Investment”.

“There is an urgent need, now, more than ever before to establish a Jordanian Innovation System especially that we have all the resources and the infrastructure,” Princess Sumaya told ag-IP news Agency.

“Through such a specialized system, we can develop the potentials of our students and individuals who think ‘out of the box’ to become job creators and not only job seekers any more,” she said.

“Whether it is a blue ocean strategy, diffusions of innovations, a Bayh-Dole Act, Intellectual Property law enforcement, technology readiness level, or others, the way ahead is clear and there is no better time than now to move ahead. The process should include the entire community and specifically a myriad of research institutions, governments and even large multinationals including economists, engineers, lawyers, marketers and scientists,” Princess Sumaya emphasized.

Moreover, HRH Princess Sumaya highlighted an important point which is the “Cultural Challenges to Technology Transfer”.

“Given the rapid development of technology, supported by both public and private institutions, one major challenge to societies is how to incorporate new technologies into their cultures, so that their traditional values are maintained and enhanced while the new technologies enable more productive and sustainable relationships with the environment,” she said.

“The intention is to find ways to enable the various cultures in the world to develop in ways that are considered appropriate without losing cultural integrity,” she added.

In conclusion, HRH Princess Sumaya emphasized the role of the Queen Rania Center for Entrepreneurship (QRCE), as part of El Hassan Science City, in aspiring to engender the entrepreneurial spirit among members of academe and of the community so that a knowledge-based economy may be fully realized.

The first session of the event entitled “R&D and IP Commercialization” was divided into two sections; Invention Commercialization delivered by Mr. Michael Martin from TechTransfer Associate and the other section on “Qualifying Inventions for Marketing” by Mr. John Fraser from Florida State University.

The second day will witness two other sessions; with the first one entitled “Legal and IP Policies” shedding light on creating a new IP policy regarding access to medicines and technology relating thereto, IP policies in Jordan and setting IP policies for Tech Transfer offices in the Arab countries.

“Investing in Technology” is another session to be held during the Conference’s second day that will present a case study entitled “Seed and Early Stage Angel Investing” by Mr. Troy Knauss from the Piedmont Angel Network.

At the end of each session, a panel will be conducted to discuss the points raised.

The event continues the tradition of hosting international specialists in the pursuit of reinforcing and expanding the discoveries arising from R&D and IP research.

The two-day event , organized by the Technology Commercialization Program; one of the QRCE initiatives, is held at Le Meridien Hotel Amman, November 12-13, 2008.

Preceding the two-day conference, the QRCE has orchestrated a four-day world class workshop that started on Sunday and will conclude today. The workshop aims at providing an understanding of basic principles of innovative and creative thinking and techniques of systematic innovation and explains how to put them in practice.

The QRCE aims at national development and plans to be the regions’ cornerstone for technology commercialization and entrepreneurship advancement. The QRCE targets university students, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs and others.