Knowledge Management and IPs Research Directorate

Conducting agricultural research is an indispensable stride toward ensuring food security and transforming Ethiopia’s food system. Managing knowledge and intellectual properties in research organizations is thus one of the most important elements in ensuring that the results of research activities have a positive impact on the entire food system. In light of this fact, the Knowledge Management and IPR Research Directorate has been reinstated under the Technology Commercialization Deputy Director General Office to effectively manage agricultural knowledge and IPs arising from research programs. The directorate aims to enhance the systematic management of agricultural knowledge and IPs (identified, acquired, created/captured, protected, shared, and applied), addressing the needs and purposes of end beneficiaries. The directorate strives to achieve efficiency and productivity in the agricultural sector by streamlining knowledge capture and sharing processes, enhancing evidence-based policymaking, and promoting collaboration among actors through digital means.

The directorate facilitates the protection and recognition of emerging agricultural technologies and intellectual properties (IPs) within and outside institutes and devises technology transfer and commercialization approaches for their intended economic, social, and environmental applications. The directorates utilize various knowledge management methods, such as document and database management systems, and various communities of practices. The directorate facilitates agricultural knowledge publications (books, book sections, research artifacts, technical manuals, production methods, research reports, processing, etc.) offered by the institute and enables them to meet their scientific standards. It works with different agricultural journals and societies for the effective transfer and application of knowledge products

Key areas of research and study of the directorate include agricultural knowledge and information system; knowledge for institutional change/performance and growth, knowledge wealth and its economy and utilization; impact of knowledge management and IPs; knowledge/publication productivity; tacit knowledge, innovation and risk management; knowledge management and scientific publications; technology protection and policy issues; intellectual property and technology transfer/commercialization, etc.

The directorate was organized into two research programs to fulfill its assigned duties and responsibilities;

  1. Knowledge management research program
  2. IP rights research program