Experts have underlined that protecting intellectual property (IP) is essential for sustaining innovation and boosting economic growth in Bangladesh.

Speaking at a day-long workshop on ‘Intellectual Property Management’ at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Professor Mohidus Samad Khan highlighted the importance of strong IP rights in supporting research and technology development.

Supreme Court lawyer Shaleh Akram Somrat stressed the need for legal awareness to prevent innovators from losing their creations.

Deputy Director of the Patent, Industrial Design and Trademark Department under the Ministry of Industries, Mirza Golam Sarwar, highlighted the commercial potential of patents in transforming innovations into economic value.

The workshop, held on November 6 at the RISE Seminar Hall in BUET’s Electrical and Computer Engineering building, was jointly organised by the Research and Innovation Center for Science and Engineering (RISE) and GPH Ispat Limited.

Its primary aim was to raise awareness among students, researchers, and industry professionals about IP protection and commercialisation, while fostering stronger collaboration between academia and industry.

Professor A S M A Haseeb, Head of the Nanomaterials and Ceramics Engineering Department at BUET, attended as chief guest.

Also in attendance were Sharmin Sultan, Chief People Officer of GPH Ispat, and Md Towhid Hossain, Defence and Large Corporate Business Development Advisor.

Faculty and students from BUET, BRAC University, Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Gazipur, and Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology participated, with Professor Dr Mohammad Shariful Islam, Director of RISE, presiding over the event.

Professor Haseeb emphasised that the true value of innovation is realised only when intellectual property is properly protected and that collaboration between academia and industry is vital.

Sharmin Sultan said that connecting industry with academia expands research opportunities and practical understanding of intellectual property, helping to enhance Bangladesh’s industrial innovation.

The organisers announced plans for further joint initiatives, offering students opportunities to work on real industry challenges and fostering stronger academia-industry cooperation in Intellectual Property Management.