MCCI puts intellectual property at the heart of economic growth agenda 

The private sector is calling for intellectual property (IP) to move from the margins of economic policy to the centre of the country’s next growth strategy. At a round-table hosted by the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) on September 10, business leaders had the opportunity to engage with Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), on how Mauritius can better protect, value, finance and commercialise its intangible assets.

Hosted at the MCCI headquarters at Anglo-Mauritius House, the round-table brought together private-sector operators to discuss a broad range of intellectual property issues, including patents, industrial designs, trademarks, geographical indications, technology, the valuation of intangible assets and access to financing.

Opening the discussions, Patrice Marie, President of the MCCI, stressed that IP should be viewed not merely as a legal mechanism for protecting ideas and brands, but as a strategic economic asset.

“Mauritius’ future competitiveness will depend on our ability to innovate, adopt new technologies and protect the intellectual assets created by our businesses and entrepreneurs. Intellectual property must be regarded as a lever for growth, investment and access to international markets”, stated the MCCI President. 

Trademarks featured prominently in the discussions, particularly the challenges surrounding their protection, counterfeiting and the effective enforcement of intellectual property rights.

The discussions also highlighted the potential of geographical indications (GIs) as a means of strengthening the identity and market positioning of Mauritian products. 

“The Mauritian sugar and rum, as well as the ‘Limon Rodrigues’ are examples of products that could benefit from stronger geographical identity and protection”, pointed out Daren Tang.

Beyond conventional IP rights 

The discussion also extended beyond conventional IP rights to the broader question of how intangible assets can contribute to business growth. For many companies, brands, designs, technologies, know-how and other intellectual assets represent significant value, yet their economic potential is not always adequately measured or understood.

The MCCI indicated that it intends to deepen its collaboration with WIPO to help Mauritian businesses better unlock the potential of intellectual property.

For Dr Drishtysingh Ramdenee, Secretary General of the MCCI, the strong interest shown by private-sector operators underlined the importance of Daren Tang’s visit.

“The broader objective is to ensure that Mauritius’ growing innovation ecosystem has access not only to ideas and entrepreneurs, but also to the tools required to protect, value and commercialise those ideas”, stressed Dr Ramdenee. 

For the MCCI, the message emerging from the engagement with WIPO is clear: Mauritius needs to rethink the way it views intellectual property to open doors to international markets.

Daren Tang: “Mauritius must turn intellectual property into a business and financial asset”

Mauritius must rethink the role of intellectual property (IP) and place it at the heart of entrepreneurship, investment, innovation and economic development. This was the central message from Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). 

Speaking to BIZWEEK on the sidelines of a cocktail reception hosted by the MCCI at La Flore 1913 Restaurant on September 10, Daren Tang said the country was well positioned to take the next step in its IP journey.

“Mauritius must turn intellectual property into a business and financial asset”, said Daren Tang noting that the timing was particularly significant given that Mauritius is celebrating 50 years of membership of WIPO.

“Mauritius has established itself as Africa’s highest-ranked economy in the WIPO Global Innovation Index and it has done very well in focusing on IP protection”, said Daren Tang.

He also said Mauritius is now entering a new phase, where the focus should shift towards unlocking the economic value of IP. The question, he explained, is how intellectual property can contribute more directly to the country’s ambitions in areas such as the creative economy, digital economy, start-ups and the blue economy.

“I came here because I wanted to understand what is in the next chapter of Mauritius’ IP development”, noted Daren Tang.

From legal right to economic asset

Daren Tang’s central message was clear: intellectual property should no longer be seen primarily as a subject for lawyers: “IP needs to move away from being something that’s only interesting for lawyers”. 

Daren Tang highlighted that, for entrepreneurs, a patent, trademark, design or other form of IP protection can provide more than legal safeguards. He pointed to the potential for IP assets to be used as collateral to access financing, a practice already adopted in some countries. 

He said, this could open another avenue of financing for innovative businesses whose most valuable assets may not necessarily be physical.

A national IP strategy

Daren Tang also revealed that discussions are already underway with the Mauritian Government on the next steps, including the possibility of developing a new national IP strategy.

The objective, he explained, would be to connect IP more closely to the wider economic ambitions of Mauritius. “Discussions had taken place with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister responsible for Industry and the Minister of Culture, among others”, confirmed Daren Tang. 

He also indicated that the proposed approach would seek to position IP within a broader ecosystem involving government, businesses, professionals, start-ups, SMEs, research institutions and universities. As he put it: “We are looking at IP as an ecosystem.”