The Zaporizhzhia Chamber of Commerce and Industry has joined the national network of Technology and Innovation Support Centres (TISC). The main goal is to help businesses in matters related to raising awareness of intellectual property, entering national and international markets, developing innovations, attracting investments, in particular, through the opportunities of industrial parks, and cooperation with scientific institutions.
On 18 December 2024, the Zaporizhzhia Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation signed an Agreement on the establishment and further functioning of the Technology and Innovation Support Centre ‘TISC’ on the basis of the Zaporizhzhia CCI, as well as a Memorandum of Cooperation.
Ihor Parenchuk, Deputy Director of the Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation (UNIPI), said:
‘The network of Technology and Innovation Support Centres (TISCs) is an international project of the World Intellectual Property Organisation implemented in Ukraine. We understand that we can only implement innovations together with business. Therefore, in 2024, we will involve regional Chambers of Commerce and Industry in this programme as a platform for effective cooperation between science and business. We are planning to increase the number of consulting services we will provide to companies on the basis of the ZCCI. In particular, we are focusing on the protection of intellectual property in Ukraine and abroad, expert evaluation, preparation of analytical information, in particular, analysis of potential sales markets.’
According to Andrii Kuts, Vice President of the Zaporizhzhia CCI, in 2020-2024, the team of the Examination Department of the Zaporizhzhia CCI completed more than 140 applications for trademark registration, extension of trademark certificates, registration of industrial designs and utility models, and patent searches.
This work continues even in times of war.
We demonstrate the importance of registering intellectual property by our own example. In 2024, the Zaporizhzhia CCI registered the trademark of the online platform for Zaporizhzhia business PRO_Business. This is an important step to promote the platform’s brand and, accordingly, all participating companies.
The protection of intellectual property should be a priority for Ukrainian business, especially on the way to European integration. The meeting was attended by representatives of companies – members of the Zaporizhzhia CCI. The participants discussed with Igor Parenchuk the issues of intellectual property in the context of protecting business interests, the economic value of innovations, the modern system of patenting inventions, etc.
Today, there are about 50 Technology and Innovation Support Centres in Ukraine. The aim is to provide advice and support in the field of intellectual property law in Ukraine and abroad, as well as to raise awareness of the acquisition, use and protection of intellectual property among small and medium-sized businesses, start-ups, inventors and creative industries.
The main areas of cooperation specified in the Memorandum are as follows:
support and promotion of TISC network activities in Ukraine;
development of innovative entrepreneurship and invention skills;
introduction of modern methods of teaching entrepreneurial, inventive skills and thinking using information and electronic technologies;
promoting the development of the start-up movement among students, researchers and youth;
raising public awareness of intellectual property and innovation issues;
organising and holding events in the field of intellectual property and innovation;
promotion of interaction between all participants of the innovation process;
cooperation in scientific and expert and scientific advisory activities.
The activities of the Centre, established on the basis of the Zaporizhzhia CCI, will be a logical continuation of the Chamber’s long-standing activities in the field of business intellectual property protection services.
So let’s continue this important work.
