Innovation
Established in 2017 under the former Office of the Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Innovation & Enterprise), the Innovation Office now operates within the Office of the Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation & Sustainability), following a major restructuring of UBD’s administrative structure.
The Innovation Office plays a vital role in advancing Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s mission to empower future-ready leaders through innovative education and enterprising research. It also supports the University’s vision of becoming a globally recognized research institution, known for its innovation, impact, and commitment to sustainability.
Serving as the University’s central hub for innovation-driven initiatives, the Innovation Office carries out a broad range of functions:
1. Intellectual Property (IP) Education and Public Awareness
Reponsible for promoting awareness and understanding of intellectual property rights (IPRs), including patents, industrial designs, copyrights, and trade secrets, across the university community through workshops, training sessions, and outreach activities.
2. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Management
Oversees the protection and management of UBD’s intellectual assets by facilitating the identification, evaluation, and registration of inventions and creative works. This includes managing the processes related to patent filings, industrial design registrations, copyright declarations, and confidential disclosures for trade secret protection.
3. Advisory Services
Provides strategic guidance on innovation disclosures and IPR-related considerations, particularly in preparation for external exhibitions, competitions, collaborations, and potential commercialization opportunities.
4. Strategic Innovation Projects
Coordinates special innovation projects of institutional and national significance, aligned with UBD’s strategic priorities and broader socio-economic development goals.
Driven by a strong commitment to excellence, creativity, and sustainable progress, our office is dedicated to fostering a dynamic innovation ecosystem at UBD—one that contributes to national development while gaining recognition on the global stage.
What is Intellectual Property (IP)?
Intellectual Property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names, and images used in commerce. Common types of IP include copyrights, patents, industrial designs, and trade secrets.
Copyright
Protection given to original literary, artistic, musical, and dramatic works, as well as films and broadcasts.
Patent
A legal right granted for an invention that is new, involves an inventive step, and is industrially applicable.
Industrial Design
Protection for the aesthetic or ornamental aspects of a product, such as its shape, configuration, or pattern.
Trade Secret
Information with commercial value that is not generally known and is subject to reasonable steps to keep it confidential.
Protect your IP
Protecting IP is essential to encourage creativity and innovation. It grants inventors exclusive rights over their work for a certain period, allowing them to benefit from their ideas and investments. For universities, effective IP protection supports knowledge transfer, research commercialization, and enhances academic and economic impact.
By safeguarding IP, UBD ensures that innovations by its researchers and students are legally protected, ethically managed, and positioned for real-world application.
