Africa-Press – Uganda. Uganda is hosting a defining milestone in its intellectual property (IP) journey as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General, Daren Tang, undertakes a landmark mission to Kampala from 3rd to 5th December 2025.
This visit—one of the most high-level WIPO engagements in recent years—highlights Uganda’s strengthened commitment to building a robust national IP system, empowering its innovators, and placing creativity at the centre of long-term economic transformation.
As the country’s national IP office, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) is leading several key activities, among them the launch of the “IP in Schools” Program and strategic engagements between the WIPO delegation and Uganda’s top leadership.
“As the national IP office, URSB is proud to lead this historic engagement,” said Registrar General Mercy K. Kainobwisho. “We look forward to showcasing the strides we have made, from expanding IP awareness to nurturing innovation in schools and across industries. This mission will deepen our collaboration with WIPO and accelerate Uganda’s journey toward an innovation-driven economy.”
Under Daren Tang’s leadership since 2020, WIPO has expanded its mandate, evolving from an administrative custodian of IP rights into a global catalyst for job creation, enterprise growth, social development, and cultural enrichment. Mr. Tang has championed IP as a practical tool for economic and social empowerment, especially for SMEs, youth, women, and local communities.
His approach prioritizes capacity building, inclusiveness, and commercialization, ensuring that IP becomes accessible and meaningful to all innovators—not only large enterprises.
In his 2025 address to the WIPO Assemblies, Tang emphasized the global shift toward intangible value, noting that “sometimes the most powerful forces are unseen.
One of the great economic shifts in recent times is the quiet revolution in value creation from tangible assets to intangible ones like brands, designs, software, and data.”
His visit to Uganda offers a vivid opportunity to translate this vision into action by placing IP at the heart of national development and enabling creativity to drive tangible socio-economic gains.
A major focus of the mission will be the School Innovation Exhibitions and the rollout of the IP in Schools Program, which will spotlight the creativity of Uganda’s youth through innovations in fields such as robotics and agritech.
The visit is also expected to strengthen Uganda’s institutional frameworks, support legal and policy reforms, accelerate the commercialization of scientific and creative outputs, and attract technical assistance and IP-based financing opportunities.
According to Registrar General Kainobwisho, the visit signals a significant shift.
“Uganda is no longer on the sidelines of the global IP conversation. We are building a modern, future-ready ecosystem that supports innovators, researchers, and young creators. WIPO’s presence affirms that momentum,” she said.
For the past decade, URSB has led major reforms aimed at easing the cost and process of doing business, from streamlining company registration to introducing one-stop business facilitation services.
Under the leadership of Board Chairman Francis K. Butagira, the Bureau recently launched its Strategic Plan IV (2025/26–2029/30), designed to position Uganda as the best destination for doing business.
“We are committed to creating an environment where investors, innovators, and entrepreneurs can thrive. This plan is about formalising opportunity and driving transformation,” Butagira said at the launch.
The visit by the WIPO Director General therefore comes at a pivotal moment, reinforcing Uganda’s reputation not only as a fertile ground for creativity and innovation but also as a compelling destination for global investors seeking a stable, efficient, and forward-looking business environment.
It further underscores WIPO’s commitment to making IP relevant, concrete, and visible to all—especially grassroots innovators, young people, women, SMEs, and local communities.
Uganda now stands at the cusp of a major transformation, with creativity, innovation, and IP rising from peripheral roles to become central pillars of the nation’s economic and social development.
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