Spoor & Fisher Partner and Patent Attorney Dina Biagio has been awarded the Department of Science and Innovation/Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (DSI/SARIMA) Award for ‘Distinguished Contribution to the Innovation Management Profession’ at this year’s SARIMA conference.

This prestigious award recognises individuals who have provided and managed the support services required to progress innovation projects from development to market, including negotiating commercial engagements that create value for all stakeholders.

Dina has been acknowledged for consummate leadership in her field, and for making a broad and enduring contribution to the Innovation Management profession – beyond her organisation. This includes training and capacity development within the profession; mentorship and guidance of organisations and individuals within the innovation management community; and active participation in communities of practice related to the profession.

Specifically, since 2004, Dina has been involved in advancing the commercialisation of IP and in technology transfer emanating from institutions in this sector.

As an expert in the Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development Act 51 of 2008 (IPR-PFRD Act), and the head of our firm’s Commercial IP department, Dina has expanded our services to assisting public entities and, in particular, the IP management and technology transfer offices of public institutions.

She is passionate about transferring knowledge in her field, and remains one of the foremost authorities on complex IP transactions in the publicly funded IP sector in South Africa – having assisted and advised most, if not all, of our universities and other public institutions.