Arua City, Uganda: The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has launched its 39th Technology and Innovation Support Centre (TISC) at St. Joseph’s College Ombaci, intensifying efforts to promote innovation and intellectual property (IP) awareness among Uganda’s young learners.
The milestone positions St. Joseph’s College Ombaci among the growing network of institutions benefiting from URSB’s IP in Schools initiative, aimed at nurturing innovation from an early stage.
Founded in the 1940s as a technical school, the institution has evolved into a centre of excellence in practical skills, research, and innovation. The school has consistently excelled in national science and innovation competitions, producing solutions such as an automatic fire detector and renewable energy technologies.
The newly established facility becomes the third secondary school-based TISC in Uganda, following similar centres at Comboni College Lira and Dr Obote College Boroboro, affirming the Bureau’s expanding footprint in grassroots innovation support.
The Resident City Commissioner of Arua, Betty Otekat Akello, who officiated the launch, described the initiative as transformative in shaping a generation of innovators equipped to contribute to national development.
“This initiative is timely and transformative. By equipping students with knowledge on innovation and intellectual property, we are preparing a generation that can create solutions, protect their ideas, and contribute meaningfully to national development,” Akello said.
Representing URSB, Assistant Commissioner for Patents and Industrial Designs, James Tonny Lubwama, said the centre would provide critical tools and knowledge required to transform ideas into commercially viable innovations.
“The establishment of this TISC is a strategic step towards empowering young innovators with access to information, tools, and guidance needed to transform ideas into protected and commercially viable innovations. We are taking intellectual property closer to where innovation begins, our schools,” Lubwama noted.
St. Joseph’s College Ombaci Headmaster, Charles Ondoga, welcomed the development, reaffirming the school’s commitment to advancing research and innovation among students.
“This centre will greatly enhance our students’ ability to research, create, and protect their ideas, positioning them for future success,” Ondoga said.
Technology and Innovation Support Centres provide access to high-quality technical information, intellectual property resources, and innovation support services. They are instrumental in enabling students, researchers, and innovators to develop, protect, and commercialise their ideas.
URSB says the continued rollout of TISCs across Uganda is key to strengthening the country’s innovation ecosystem and accelerating the transition to a knowledge-based economy driven by research, creativity, and intellectual property protection.
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