To promote a culture of innovation and strengthen awareness of the importance of protecting intellectual property (IP) in the academic environment, the University of Batna 1 Hadj Lakhder, in Algeria, held a symposium on the use, protection and management of intellectual property rights (IPRs), on November 2 and 3, 2025.
The event focused on familiarizing students, researchers and innovators with the benefits of protecting IPRs and the procedures involved, particularly with respect to patents, trademarks and industrial designs.
It opened with a keynote statement by the President of the University, Professor Abdessalem Dif, followed by presentations from the Director of the WIPO Algeria Office, Mr. Mohamed Saleck Ahmed Ethmane, the Director of the Digital Incubator at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Director of Patents at the National Industrial Property Institute (INAPI), Mr. Youcef Ziane and the Director of the University of Batna 1 Incubator, Ms. Imene Benmakhlouf.
The Director of the WIPO Algeria Office outlined the services that WIPO offers to innovators, in particular:
- Access to scientific and technical information;
- International filing and registration systems enabling IPRs to be protected in several countries at once;
- Capacity-building through online courses and IP training provided by the WIPO Academy.
The Director of Patents at INAPI led several workshops for innovators, explaining INAPI procedures and the requirements for obtaining industrial property rights that protect their work, such as patents, trademarks and industrial designs.
The event was therefore aimed primarily at promoting an IP culture among students and researchers and at presenting the mechanisms available for protecting IPRs. It also focused on strengthening ties between innovators and the entrepreneurial sector. It concluded with the signing of cooperation agreements between the University of Batna 1, the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the enterprise Chenniket Expo. In addition, it marked the launch of the University’s first dedicated IP club.
The symposium highlighted the progress achieved by the University of Batna 1 in innovation, through the efforts of its incubator in supporting students and innovative project developers.
More than 900 innovative projects have been supported, 42 of which received the “Innovative Project” label from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The University has also won 58 awards in national innovation and entrepreneurship competitions, and five prizes at the continental and international levels.
In addition, 11 of the 12 projects submitted received funding under the Protomarket program, placing the University eighth nationwide among 67 participating academic institutions. Recently launched by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Protomarket program targets students and recent graduates and aims to bridge academic innovation with the market by helping them transform prototypes into market-ready products. Winners receive direct mentoring and substantial financial support.
Three patent applications and seven trademark applications were filed with INAPI during the event.
Several recommendations were adopted, including strengthening partnerships with specialized IP bodies to facilitate the registration of university-generated innovations, expanding training programs for students and researchers, supporting the creation of enterprises arising from final-year projects and doctoral theses, and directing research toward addressing local economic and social challenges.
These achievements reflect the considerable efforts made by the University of Batna 1 to build a strong culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within the academic community. They have helped establish the University as a national model in IP and academic entrepreneurship and have contributed to advancing knowledge and sustainable development in Algeria.