The first training workshop on “Strategic Use of Intellectual Property in the Innovation Process: A Focus on Patents” for the CAP4INNO project was held at The University of the West Indies, Saint Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago, from 30th June 2014 to 4th July 2014.

This workshop was co-organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Danish Patent and Trademark office (DKPTO), The University of the West Indies and the University of Alicante (UA), coordinator of the CAP4INNO project.

This 5-day-workshop was divided in two parts, on the first two days an introduction to IPR and basics of patenting and how to use patent databases for R&D and Innovation was presented by WIPO and DKPTO. On the second part of the workshop, Chalmers University of Technology (CU) explained the universities’ role in the innovation process, model and methods for being an Innovative University and introduced the ideas evaluation. UA presented the up-to-date workplan and goals of the CAPINNO project and the future workshops that will take place in Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

An in-depth analysis of training offered and training needs of Caribbean HEI’s academic staff (in Energy, Knowledge Transfer and Innovation), as well as competences needed in the energy sector (public and private) was presented by Caribbean partners countries (University of Technology, Jamaica, The University of the West Indies and Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo).

The workshop was attended by more than 40 people, the CAP4INNO partners from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Dominican Republic as well as the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Guyana and the Vice President, Business Development and Marketing and the Vice Provost, Post Graduate Studies, of the University of Trinidad and Tobago.

The next workshop will be held in the Dominican Republic from the 20th to the 23rd of October, in co-ordination with an international conference on Sustainable Energy Development (http://www.intec.edu.do/sycc14).