Push for intellectual creativity

By FRANK ASAELI
PAPUA New Guinea’s economy is mainly supported at this stage of the country’s development by mineral resources, but gold, copper, oil and gas are non-renewable resources and will soon run out.
“We need to realise that promoting intellectual creativity and innovation will sustain PNG’s development for many years.”
Minister for Commerce and Industry Gabriel Kapris said this at the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) – PNG national symposium on intellectual property (IP) education, research and training at the Gateway hotel in Port Moresby yesterday.
Mr Kapris said PNG needs to build its economy on resources that would sustain the country for generations.
“We are abundantly rich in biological diversity and to make full use of these resources, we need to build intellectual creativity,” he said.
Intellectual property education and research was a new concept, but it was in the country’s best interest to embrace the ideas that would be shared by the experts and use the information to formulate institutional and national strategies to address problems at hand.
There is a lot of vital research and developments being done in our institutions but the lack of awareness and appreciation of the IP rights involved in those undertakings made it difficult for us to fully develop and benefit from “our” own creativity and innovations.
Mr Kapris said IP was no longer a term limited to legal and technical experts.
“We need to realise and appreciate that IPR was not an abstract issue and it was not something that only concerns the developed world.
“Intellectual property rights are the cornerstone and catalyst for industrial and economic growth,” he said.
IPR protected and promoted the growth of knowledge and creativity which were very vital resources.
It was hoped the symposium would result in the identification of challenges and opportunities by participants to develop effective IPR policies to safeguard and protect such works.