WIPO Director General Daren Tang’s first official visit to Mauritius from September 10 to 11, 2026, reaffirmed a shared commitment to deepen cooperation and advance practical initiatives that harness intellectual property, innovation and creativity to support Africa’s leading innovation performer in building a more competitive, knowledge-based economy.
A recurring theme throughout the discussions with ministers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, researchers, innovators, creators and business leaders was that Mauritius has already built strong foundations in innovation and intellectual property and is now entering a new phase focused on translating ideas, research and creativity into commercial opportunities, competitive enterprises, investment and jobs.
Port Louis engagements
- Held discussions with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade Dhananjay Ramful on the future of Mauritius-WIPO cooperation, including innovation, AI, the digital economy, technology transfer, commercialization and the development of a National Intellectual Property Strategy to position IP as a driver of economic growth and competitiveness.
- Met Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries Arvin Boolell to explore how geographical indications, branding and commercialization can create greater value from Mauritian products, strengthen rural livelihoods and enhance export competitiveness. Discussions highlighted the success of Mauritius Rum, Mauritius Unrefined Sugar and Rodrigues Lime as geographical indications.
- Engaged with Minister of Industry, SMEs and Cooperatives Sayed Muhammad Aadil Ameer Meea on supporting SMEs and entrepreneurs through innovation, branding and the strategic use of intellectual property.
- Met Minister of Arts and Culture Mahendra Gondeea, together with representatives of the creative sector and the Mauritius Society of Authors (MASA), to discuss copyright modernization, creator remuneration, collective management and the role of IP in strengthening Mauritius's creative economy. Discussions also explored opportunities to expand initiatives such as WIPO's Creators Learn Intellectual Property (CLIP) program and strengthen royalty distribution through WIPO Connect.
- Participated in a roundtable with business leaders and representatives of the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where discussions focused on innovation, commercialization, artificial intelligence, IP valuation and the growing importance of intangible assets in business competitiveness and economic transformation.
Ebene engagements
- Met Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation Avinash Ramtohul to discuss innovation, AI, technology transfer and support for start-ups, with a focus on integrating intellectual property into entrepreneurship and innovation programs.
- Visited the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council to discuss innovation-led growth, commercialization, technology transfer, patent analytics, innovation management and strengthening Mauritius's capacity to convert research and innovation into economic value.
- Met Minister of Tertiary Education, Science and Research Kaviraj Sharma Sukon, representatives of the University of Mauritius and the broader higher education sector to discuss research commercialization, technology transfer, entrepreneurship and the role of universities in strengthening innovation ecosystems and supporting a knowledge-based economy.
- Participated in a fireside chat hosted by the Economic Development Board with creative industry stakeholders and entrepreneurs and discussed creative entrepreneurship, commercialization, collective management, artificial intelligence and building a stronger ecosystem that enables creators to translate talent and creativity into sustainable economic opportunities.