“Health-Related Innovation in Morocco Highlighted by Resident Inventor Patenting Activity”

In a column for R&D World, Marshall Gerstein’s Elaine Ramesh analyzed patenting data from recent years and found an influx of innovation – particularly in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors – in the African nation of Morocco. In looking closely at patent filings reported by the Organisation Africaine de la Propriete Intellectuelle (OAPI) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), Elaine identified an uptick in innovation activity through OMPIC, the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property.

In her analysis, Elaine said that Morocco’s top higher education institution, the University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, is credited as one of the most prolific patent filers in the pharmaceutical and medical fields. “One USMBA professor, Dr. Adnane Remmal, has been widely recognized for her achievements in identifying ways to boost the efficacy of antibiotics with essential oils to combat antibiotic-resident bacteria,” Elaine writes. Other patent activity comes from nonprofit organizations that are active in fostering innovation.

Further, Elaine points to the country’s Innovation Cities concept, where the government collaborates with universities and businesses to encourage R&D, tech transfer, and entrepreneurship as a driver of patenting activity.

You can read Elaine’s article in R&D World.