The Intellectual Property and Patents Unit in the Graduate Studies and Research Department at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), in cooperation with the National Research Foundation, organized an interactive workshop entitled “The transfer and commercialization of technology in the UAE”. It was presented by Michael Martin, Professor at the University of Michigan, and John Fraser, Director of Florida State University, on the morning of Wednesday 13/05/2015 at the Business Center in the Crescent Building in Al Ain. The workshop was attended by faculty, researchers and others interested in scientific research and innovation.

Mohamed Al Hemairy, head of the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Office in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies at UAEU, stated that the aim of this workshop is to create a supportive and stimulating environment for innovation and invention in order to encourage inventors in the UAE. This allows them to benefit from the best international practices in the areas of technology transfer and the commercialization of inventions.

Professor Martin stressed that there are a lot of inventions in universities that do not get the chance to appear on the international stage due to a poor understanding of the concept of technology transfer. John Fraser highlighted the responsibility of educational institutions to follow universally adopted standards in order to discover their own strengths and weaknesses. He mentioned that UAEU is keen to strive after an innovative culture in as short a timeframe as possible. This is shown by its many specific courses on patent applications.