Placing Intellectual Property (IP) protection and commercialisation at the centre of Brunei Darussalam’s innovation conversation, the Office of the Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Industry Engagement and Enterprise Development (OAVC-IEED) at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) hosted the IP Journey Dialogue Session on 22nd April 2026 at Inspiring HUB, UBD.
Held as part of the lead-up to Innovfest 2026, scheduled for 28th to 29th April 2026, the session sent a clear message to researchers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders alike: that ideas, without protection, are opportunities lost. In today’s knowledge-driven economy, IP is not merely a legal formality — it is a strategic business asset that can determine whether a Bruneian innovation remains a laboratory concept or becomes a commercially viable product that competes on the regional and global stage.
The session convened an impressive cross-section of speakers from academia and industry, each bringing firsthand experience of how research ideas are transformed into protected innovations with real-world commercial value. Discussions traversed the full IP lifecycle — from patent journeys and research-to-protection pathways to strategic research management and the practical realities of commercialising innovations in Brunei Darussalam’s evolving marketplace. An institutional overview further equipped attendees with a clear understanding of the support structures and processes available within UBD to guide innovators from initial idea disclosure through to secured IP rights.
For Brunei Darussalam’s business community, the implications are profound. Protecting intellectual property empowers local businesses and entrepreneurs to safeguard their competitive advantage, attract investment, negotiate licensing agreements, and build brand equity in ways that unprotected innovations simply cannot. As Brunei Darussalam works to cultivate a thriving startup and Small Medium Enterprise (SME) ecosystem under its broader economic diversification agenda, robust IP awareness and management are foundational.
The event drew over 50 researchers, innovators, and stakeholders from across the university, and was simultaneously livestreamed via Zoom to members of the ASEAN University Network – University Innovation and Entrepreneurship (AUN-UIE). This regional reach underscored that Brunei’s IP ambitions are not insular — they are positioned within a wider ASEAN innovation landscape where cross-border collaboration, technology transfer, and IP commercialisation are increasingly driving economic growth.
A standout feature of the session was its interactive panel discussion and Q&A segment, which was moderated by Hasnah Haji Hassan, Lecturer and Patent Officer at the Office of Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Sustainability, RIS), who moved the conversation beyond theory and into practice. Participants engaged directly with speakers to navigate the real challenges of the IP landscape and gain actionable insights that researchers and business practitioners can apply immediately.
The success of the event was made possible through the valued contributions of the Office of the Assistant Vice-Chancellor (RIS), whose input was instrumental in shaping the speaker programme, and the Innovation in Teaching and Learning Centre (InTELECT), whose support — including the facilitation of Staff University Participation (SUP) points for UBD academic staff — helped ensure broad and meaningful participation.
Ultimately, the IP Journey Dialogue Session reflects something larger: UBD’s determination to be a catalyst for Brunei Darussalam’s knowledge economy. By bridging the gap between research excellence and commercial impact, and by equipping the next generation of Bruneian innovators with the tools to protect and monetise their ideas, UBD is helping to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem where intellectual property is understood, valued, and leveraged as the powerful business driver it truly is.