On 22 April, our CEO Stella SimiyuBW, made a presentation at a WTO Workshop on the Implementation of 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement: Incentives for Transfer of Technology to LDCs – Technology transfer in practice: Insights from industry and practitioners. In her intervention, Stella shared CropLife’s insights and experiences, with a focus on what the Article actually means for LDCs in agriculture and plant health.
Her message – alongside critical inputs from other practitioners – based on the Sustainable Pesticide Management Framework and other initiatives, was clear: technology transfer only succeeds when Intellectual Property IP is a catalyst, Regulation is an enabler and Collaboration is a multiplier. Key takeaways from here presentation:
– Technology transfer should be matched by institutional readiness, regulatory capacity, and practical delivery systems.
– The strongest technology transfer models do not just deliver an innovation; they leave institutions, skills, and systems that can use it well and gainfully.
– Balanced IP systems help create the confidence needed for innovation, disclosure, licensing, and partnership.
– Predictable, science-based, and effective systems make responsible adoption possible.
– Technology transfer works when governments, research bodies, firms, and local delivery actors each play a defined role.
This discussion connects directly to our work on the ground.
At CropLife AME, knowledge sharing and capacity enhancement on IP protection for diverse stakeholders is an active and ongoing part of our mandate and look forward to collaborate with other stakeholders on the topics.
Thank you to WTO for the invitation, we look forward to continuing this dialogue.