MasiboLaw

Imagine that you are a dedicated employee who always goes above and beyond. You strive to innovate in your workplace, constantly offer solutions to your company and redefine how you serve your customers. One day, you create a technological solution – a system or software – that revolutionizes how your company does business. You want to share it with the company but also crave recognition for your creativity and hard work. This is where a Technovation comes in.

Technovation is a term used to describe a technological solution created by employees to solve a specific problem in their company, which can also be replicated elsewhere. For instance, if a nurse develops a hospital digital file management system to help manage patient records in a way that’s never been done before, that can be classified as a technovation.

To qualify as a technovation, the technology must not have been used before by the company/organization, and it should not have been developed in the ordinary course of an employee’s duties. For example, if you’re hired as a front-end web developer but go beyond the scope of your work to build an AI tool that helps your company, then it qualifies as a technovation.

To register a technovation, you need to apply for a technovation certificate from your employer in writing. Once your employer confirms that your innovation meets the requirements, they are required to issue you with a certificate within 3 months. You’ll also agree to a remuneration/standard payment for the use of your innovation by your employer.

In case of any dispute with your employer, an arbitration board consisting of one member of your choosing, another of your employer’s choosing, and a third chosen by both parties will resolve it. If you don’t agree, the arbitrators will be appointed by a resident magistrate and you’re free to appeal any decision issued to the Industrial Property Tribunal.

Empowering employees to innovate and gain recognition through technovations motivates them to offer ideas and solutions to their companies. Businesses that have numerous ideas from their employees gain a competitive edge because of the unique solutions employees bring in to streamline services, improve products, and grow their market share. Technovation fosters collaboration rather than dependence on a specific class of persons, allowing everyone in the business to be involved in generating solutions.

In today’s digital, fast-paced, growing world, technovation is no longer an option for businesses aiming at global competitiveness. By empowering employees to innovate uniquely, businesses can jump into immeasurable success.

The writer is a lawyer and licensed patent agent who specializes in offering legal services to technology companies and people in technology, you can contact him through info@masibolaw.co.ke