Having a chief technology officer who understands intellectual property and how it can by leveraged will set businesses apart from their competitors, says Wen Teoh, director of the Entrepreneurship Practice and Innovation Centre (EPICentre).

The centre wrapped up its inaugural NextGen CTO program on Nov. 20, which attracted 51 students in the Master of Applied Computing program.

“We hope this program will help our students develop IP savviness that will give them a competitive advantage in their future careers whether as CTOs at their own startups or at other organizations,” said Teoh.

Participants completed the Foundations of IP Strategy online course developed for the Centre for International Governance by Karima Bawa and Windsor Law professor Myra Tawfik, who is also the EPICentre Professor of IP Commercialization and Strategy.

“IP literacy is an essential skill for businesses competing in today’s innovation economy, regardless of whether we are talking about a small and medium enterprise or a large multinational,” she says. “It is imperative that IP education programs be available across the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. especially for those who aspire to business leadership positions as Chief Technology or IP or Innovation Officers.”

Graduates of the NextGen CTO program received micro-credential badges, a skills-based credential system that helps validate skills and accomplishments. Graduates can display their badges on social networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Read the full story on the EPICentre website.

The second round of the NextGen CTO Program will be open to all students and entrepreneurs; applications will open in January 2021.