The Ministry of Land and Legal Affairs has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) aimed at strengthening Trinidad and Tobago’s capacity for patent drafting and supporting local innovators.
Minister of Land and Legal Affairs Saddam Hosein signed the agreement on behalf of Trinidad and Tobago during the 68th WIPO General Assemblies in Geneva, Switzerland.
The partnership seeks to address a gap in the country’s intellectual property system, where local inventors currently have to rely on foreign expertise to prepare patent applications. The ministry said this is due to limited private sector capacity and legal restrictions preventing the Trinidad and Tobago Intellectual Property Office (TTIPO) from providing patent drafting services.
According to the ministry, the dependence on overseas services has affected national innovation data and contributed to a lower ranking on the Global Innovation Index.
Hosein said Trinidad and Tobago has no shortage of innovators, but developing local expertise in patent drafting remains a key requirement to support their work.
He said the agreement will create opportunities to train qualified professionals in a specialised field that is in demand locally and across the Caribbean.
The initiative is expected to encourage more local patent filings while helping inventors protect and commercialise their ideas. It will also support the safeguarding of cultural expressions and creative works originating from Trinidad and Tobago.
WIPO Director General Darren Tang welcomed Hosein at the assembly and praised Trinidad and Tobago’s efforts to strengthen support for creators and innovators.
The Ministry said the programme will complement existing initiatives through TTIPO, including pre-patentability searches and research funding support.
Officials said building local patent drafting expertise will provide inventors with greater access to services needed to transform ideas into commercially viable products and solutions while strengthening the country’s innovation ecosystem.
