Event Report: Socio-Legal Studies Association Annual Conference 2025
On 16 April 2025 Dr. Charlene Musiza presented her postdoctoral research at the Annual Conference of the Socio-Legal Studies Association, held at the University of Liverpool from 15-17 April [see the programme]. Her presentation titled ‘The role of intellectual property (IP) in cluster policy: fostering innovation and growth in South Africa’, explored the gaps in policy and the potential for IP in industrial clusters.
In her presentation she highlighted the importance of integrating IP into South Africa’s cluster development strategy. Her presentation began with an overview of South Africa’s key industrial clusters, highlighting the geographical concentration around infrastructure. She expanded on the factors that have facilitated the growth of sectors such as automotive, mining, agro-processing, and textiles. She emphasised that while these clusters contribute significantly to South Africa total exports, the participation of small enterprises remains limited as they often struggle to grow their business.
Central to the discussion was the potential of collective IP rights such as certification marks and collective marks to help clustered enterprises build brand identity, enhance product recognition, and access global markets. Charlene highlighted that the current policy landscape, including the Department of Trade and Industry’s Cluster Development Guidelines, fail to address the IP element in business growth, especially for enterprises that face constraints in sustaining market presence.
Drawing on recent policy developments and sectoral data, she explored how collective IP rights can support industrial competitiveness and inclusive economic growth and reiterated the need for IP literacy and institutional coordination. She discussed the appropriate level of government intervention in enabling clusters to use collective IP strategies. Her presentation concluded by emphasising the need for a strategic, inclusive approach to IP in cluster development, an approach that supports market access for small and medium enterprises.