Maseru, Jan. 28 — National University of Lesotho (NUL) Innovation Hub says it is levelling up, from cool ideas to company assets.
Mr. Teboho Khalala, NUL Innovation Hub Administrator says with proper know-how in Intellectual Property (IP), NUL is doing more than just dreaming big, but officially owning brilliance.
He said in the past, a student or researcher might have invented something brilliant, but because the IP process felt like a maze, those ideas often just gathered dust or, worse, got borrowed by someone else.
He said the Innovation Hub is now changing the game, NUL has the in-house muscle to help innovators lock down their ideas legally.
“Having a competitive IP strategy enables the university to build a library of protected inventions. These are not just certificates on a wall, they are assets that have real cash value. Relying solely on government grants or tuition can be tough. An entrepreneurial university needs its own revenue streams,’” he said.
Mr. Khalala explained that NUL can now license its IP assets to companies. The companies pay to use the IP solutions, and that money flows back into the university.
He also mentioned the idea of Spin-offs, which he said paves the way for more campus born start-ups, when the university owns a piece of a successful company, it ensures long-term financial health.
Mr. Khalala also said this is not just about NUL, it’s about Lesotho. Bridging the gap between a lab experiment and a commercial product, NUL is helping solve local problems like food security or renewable energy with local solutions.
When local inventors see that their IP is safe, more people will be willing to innovate, he said, adding that the initiative also puts Lesotho on the map.
“We are not just consumers of global solutions, we are becoming creators who know how to protect our work in the international market.’’
Speaking of the global market, Khalala said investors hate uncertainty. They are not going to put money into a start-up if the “secret sauce” is not legally protected and with the NUL Innovation Hub guiding the way, start-ups coming out of the university look way more professional and investment ready.
He added that it makes it easier for industry giants to partner with NUL because there’s a clear framework for who owns what.
Furthermore, Khalala said the Innovation Hub has secured a partnership that puts NUL on the map of global innovation, following the strategic engagement with the European Patent Office (EPO) in the Gambia.
He said with his lead, the university has successfully entered the PATLIB Knowledge Transfer to Africa (KTA2) Initiative, adding that this is a bold and direct link between NUL and the world class expertise of the WPO, ensuring that the university is no longer just a place of study, but a powerhouse of enterprise.
This means NUL has sealed the deal to support the entrepreneurial dreams of its student and employees, and through this initiative, NUL is providing free, unlimited access to the EPO e-learning platform.
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