GPH Ispat Ltd has entered into a strategic partnership with the Research and Innovation Center for Science and Engineering (RISE) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) to strengthen intellectual property (IP) management and promote innovation across academia and industry.
At the signing ceremony held recently, BUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Abu Borhan Mohammad Badruzzaman attended as the Chief Guest, while Mr. Mohammed Jahangir Alam, Chairman of GPH Group and Managing Director of GPH Ispat Ltd., was present as the Special Guest. BUET Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Abdul Hasib Chowdhury joined as the Guest of Honor. The event was presided over by Professor Dr. Mohammad Shariful Islam, Director of RISE, who also addressed the ceremony, says a press release.
Under the memorandum of agreement (MoA), GPH Ispat will support RISE in conducting workshops and seminars to raise awareness on the importance, benefits, and processes of patent filing. These initiatives will cover both individual and collective intellectual property, while also familiarizing students, faculty, and researchers with relevant IP laws.
This collaboration is envisioned to help Bangladesh transition towards a knowledge-based economy by enabling innovators to protect their work for prototyping, development, and commercialization. It aims to generate new income opportunities, enhance recognition for local innovations, and address the critical challenge of brain drain.
Looking ahead, GPH Ispat plans to extend this initiative nationwide by engaging with government and non-government institutions, large and small industries, and business clusters across key sectors, including light engineering, ICT, agriculture, and healthcare.
Special Guest Mr. Mohammed Jahangir Alam, Chairman of GPH Group and Managing Director of GPH Ispat Ltd., remarked, "This initiative is essentially an effort to preserve and utilize research outcomes through patents. By doing so, we will prevent brain drain and connect the knowledge and expertise of talented students and researchers for the nation's development."
Chief Guest Professor Dr. Abu Borhan Mohammad Badruzzaman, Vice-Chancellor of BUET, said, "GPH Ispat's initiative is truly commendable, as it places the highest importance on intellectual property. Through this, we will be able to retain ownership of our innovations and research outcomes. In the past, we lost many intellectual assets due to a lack of priority, but I am hopeful that this initiative will open new doors of opportunity."
Guest of Honor Professor Dr. Abdul Hasib Chowdhury, Pro-Vice Chancellor of BUET, noted, "GPH Ispat's Quantum Arc Furnace technology has brought about a positive transformation in energy consumption, which is a significant advancement for the industrial sector."
Presiding over the ceremony, Professor Dr. Mohammad Shariful Islam, Director of RISE, stated, "This is not just a memorandum of understanding but a commitment to leading Bangladesh towards a knowledge-based economy. The vision of RISE is to link research and innovation with the needs of industry and society, thereby transforming Bangladesh into a knowledge-driven economy. "
