The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in collaboration with the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), and with support from the Funds-In-Trust Japan Industrial Property Global (FIT/Japan IP Global), organized the WIPO-OAPI Meeting on the Development of an OAPI Regional TISC Network in Yaoundé, Cameroon, on February 26 and 27, 2026.
The purpose of this regional meeting was to foster an exchange of experiences and lessons learned among OAPI Member States in developing national Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) networks and contribute to the planning and initiation of joint activities among OAPI Member States for developing TISCs.
About the meeting
Approximately 30 national TISC focal points from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Senegal, and Togo, along with representatives from OAPI, participated the meeting.
The meeting was opened by Mr. Guy F. Boussafou, Director, Patents and Other Technical Creations, OAPI, Mr. Kenya Uehara, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim at the Embassy of Japan in Cameroon, and Mr. Elangi Botoy, Industrial Property Information Officer, Technology and Innovation Support Division, WIPO. Speakers emphasized that the meeting represented an important step toward moving from formal commitment to the implementation of a regional TISC network coordinated by OAPI.
During the sessions, several countries shared their experiences in developing national TISC networks, highlighting both successes and lessons learned. Their experiences demonstrated the importance of government support, training, and the strategic placement of TISCs within local innovation hubs.
In addition, participants discussed the road map for establishing the OAPI regional TISC network, focusing on three key priorities: assessment, strengthening, and networking of national TISC networks, which are essential steps toward building a regional TISC network. WIPO and OAPI will continue to collaborate in developing a roadmap for the establishment of the regional TISC network.