About NIPMO
Championing Innovation and Intellectual Property for a Prosperous South Africa
The National Intellectual Property Management Office (NIPMO) under the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) in the Republic of South Africa, was established through the Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development Act (No. 51 of 2008). NIPMO enables the identification, protection, utilisation and commercialisation of intellectual property (IP) from publicly funded research and development
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Functions of NIPMO
Compliance and Policy Oversight
Enforces the IPR Act, ensuring that outputs from publicly financed research and development benefits the nation.
IP Awareness and Advocacy
Engages in advocacy and awareness activities to strengthen the national IP ecosystem and promote a culture of innovation
Funding support
Provides financial assistance to institutions through 2 established funding mechanisms namely OTT Support Fund and IP Fund
Capacity Building and Skills Development
Ensures IP management and Technology Transfer skills are developed and enhanced through hosting certificate training courses
Resources for Compliance and Best Practices
Issues guidelines and other related resources to assist stakeholders with the interpretation and implementation of the IPR Act.
Benefit-sharing and Incentives
Ensures that institutions include benefit-sharing provisions, as required by the IPR Act, into their institutional policies, while also recognising and incentivising IP creators and innovators for their contributions to South Africa’s innovation ecosystem.
Monitoring, evaluation and Reporting
Ensures compliance with the IPR Act by monitoring and evaluating institutions’ IP management activities.
Safeguarding National Interests
Ensures that IP from publicly funded R&D is managed responsibly to deliver value and socio-economic benefits to South Africa.
