We're diving into the world of intellectual property and technology transfer in Jamaica. Our special guest for this episode is Loreen Walker, a trailblazer in this field. Loreen played a crucial role in establishing the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO) back in 2002, and she's here to share her wealth of experiences and insights with us.

Loreen Walker is a distinguished Attorney-at-Law with over 40 years of experience. She has worked across the private sector, public sector, and academia, specializing in areas such as commercial, corporate, labor, pension, insurance, intellectual property, and sports law.

In 2002, Loreen became the first Head of JIPO, collaborating closely with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to solidify JIPO's foundation. After her tenure at JIPO ended in 2005, she joined the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board (Regulatory Division), known for the world-famous Jamaica Blue Mountain® coffee. 

Loreen then moved to The University of the West Indies, where she advised on intellectual property and technology transfer matters. Now retired from the university, she is focused on developing tech transfer services for the Jamaican public.

In this episode, we explore Loreen's journey into tech transfer, her leadership at JIPO, the challenges and strategies she encountered, and her advisory role at The University of the West Indies. We'll also discuss the unique opportunities and challenges that Caribbean nations, including Jamaica, face in commercializing intellectual property and fostering innovation-driven entrepreneurship.

In This Episode:

[02:28] Loreen shares how she got her start in tech transfer. She was exposed to tech transfer while head of the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office.

[03:19] People in Jamaica and the Caribbean are very creative because of all of the different influences that they've had. She's always been interested in making that creativity work.

[05:12] Before JIPO there were bits and pieces of IP protection through government offices. There were things like copyrights and trademarks.

[06:37] Loreen talks about challenges getting JIPO up and running. In the early days, the knowledge gap was a huge problem. Working with WIPO helped close that gap.

[07:54] Jamaica has only been a sovereign country since 1962. There were old colonial laws on the books. Getting the legislation in place for IP and tech transfer was challenging.

[09:41] Effective strategies included utilizing the courses that WIPO offered.

[12:59] It's also challenging to keep up with all the new changes including challenges brought about by AI.

[14:18] Tech transfer is more than something that universities need to know about. As a small country, Jamaica needs to reach out to the people, because there are people who are doing innovative things.

[18:26] There's a huge connection between innovation and entrepreneurship.

[20:02] There's a lot of work being done in biotech on the medicine side and the agricultural side.

[24:07] A big challenge is tapping into the global commercialization opportunities. Jamaica needs to consciously become a path of the global commercialization ecosystem.

[25:46] They need to be seen as a company of products that can benefit society. 

[27:05] IP has always been seen as a very important area for the Caribbean and Jamaica.

[28:39] IP is the new area of law that protects innovation and inventions. Resources need to be invested in the protection of IP.

[29:37] In order to keep on top of things we have to accept that we have to be lifelong learners.

[30:55] Another challenge is how each country has different laws about IP. We need to look at a more global IP system.

[33:26] One of the most rewarding things for Loreen is establishing an organization that is growing and helping people. It's also being able to share and give advice.

Resources: 

Loreen Walker AUTM

Jamaica Intellectual Property Office (JIPO)

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Jamaica Blue Mountain® coffee