Putting in place policy incentives to encourage brain gain.
Developing programs that can promote innovation and IP culture.
Developing programs to promote the uptake of scientific and technological solutions by potential users,
such us enterprises, government organisations, research institutions, and society.
POLICY OBJECTIVE II: Promotion of innovation and creativity including minor and
incremental innovations by nationals
The focus here will be to facilitate the acquisition and exploitation of IPRs over minor and incremental
innovations so as to encourage the widest participation in innovative and creative activity including in the
informal sector. The participation in the innovative enterprise and creative industries by the largest number of
Rwandans possible is the only sure way to boost innovation and creativity economy-wide. With a low startingbase, the country cannot afford to pick and choose winners based on high-end technological standards when
solutions for many of the problems in Rwandan society may require adaptations of existing technology or
solutions developed by cultural industries. As a corollary, the costs of obtaining and enforcing rights over these
minor and incremental innovations must be such that it is affordable and practical.
POLICY OBJECTIVE III: Increasing access to foreign and local technology by local firms and
research institutions
The main aim, under this objective, is to:
Promote the utilisation of the patent information system which will provide access to new technological
information and encourage adaptation of foreign technologies to local needs.
Develop mechanisms to promote technology transfer from foreign firms and institutions. Technology
transfer is critical in Rwanda’s efforts to climb the knowledge and technology ladder.
Put in place mechanisms to promote technology transfer from local research institutions to industry, such as
research-industry collaboration.
POLICY OBJECTIVE IV: Facilitating access to IP-based essential goods and services especially
in the health and food sectors
The principal aim is to ensure that essential IP embedded goods and services, especially with respect to health
and food products, as well as agricultural inputs, are available and accessible at an affordable cost to the
population. Ultimately, science and technology matters only if it can be applied to better the lives of the
population by helping improve health, education, agriculture, water quality, sanitation etc. Consequently, the
use of flexibilities to ensure availability and access to IP-based products and services to the largest number of
people in the population determines whether the IP Policy is an instrument for poverty reduction.
This will entail:
Awareness creation among the policy-makers, the consumers and relevant government organs and
institutions on exceptions in IP laws and the TRIPS flexibilities.
Promoting a better understanding of the IP system by the consumers and show advantages of the protection
and promotion of national products and services in competition with foreign products and services.
POLICY OBJECTIVE V: Facilitating investments in innovative and creative activities and
profit
The main aim here is to promote an understanding of IPRs and access to administrative or judicial services to
enforce IPRs in a manner that balances the needs of access and competition and profit. The focus should be on
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