Chennai: The CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre (CSIR-SERC), Chennai, organized a one-day workshop on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) on Thursday to enhance awareness and understanding of intellectual property protection among researchers and technical staff.

Dr. T. Pavan Kumar, Principal Scientist (Chemistry & IPR) from CSIR-Institute of Minerals & Materials Technology (CSIR-IMMT), Bhubaneswar, conducted the technical sessions, which focused on the fundamentals and practical aspects of innovation and patenting.

Presiding over the event, CSIR-SERC Director Dr. N. Anandavalli emphasized the importance of safeguarding intellectual property in research and innovation. She highlighted that proper protection and commercialization of intellectual assets are vital for translating scientific ideas into impactful technologies.

The workshop featured two interactive sessions. The first session dealt with topics such as Innovation Dynamics and IPR - Idea to Implementation, Anatomy of Patents - Structure, Scope and Significance, Patentability Assessment, and Patent Search Demonstration. The second session covered Patent Drafting, Filing Procedures, and IP Commercialization - Mind to Monetization.

Over 100 scientists and technical officers from CSIR-SERC participated in the workshop, gaining insights into patent strategies, filing formalities, and commercialization pathways.

The programme was coordinated by Shri R.D. Sathish Kumar, Principal Technical Officer and Convenor of the IPM Cell at CSIR-SERC.