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About Us
What we do and how we do it
OUR MISSION

The mission of INDIGENA BIODIVERSITY is to stimulate sustainable uses of naturally occurring genetic resources, ensuring that benefits are shared with the country of origin.

We help source countries benefit from their biodiversity, and provide industry and universities with research or commercial opportunities. By acting as a foreign partner for biodiversity-rich countries, and with a business perspective, we can ensure that all parties benefit.
WHAT WE DO 

An international convention such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), supported by the Nagoya protocol, can provide a useful focus and framework for promoting the sustainable use of  biodiversity and set worthwhile goals. However, there is still a need to effect practical implementation of those goals. A number of difficulties arise when trying to take advantage of the opportunities that natural products provide. First, how to identify suitable species that would be worthy of investigation. Even when that is achieved, the necessary CBD access regulations tend to present a bureaucratic hurdle. INDIGENA tackles these issues by bringing a unique combination to the table: 
  • information gathering, focused with an industry background to identify natural products with commercial potential
  • expertise in intellectual property
  • ability to deal with the cumbersome access regulations and legal agreements
  • partnership with all parties in the chain
WHAT WE PROVIDE
  • Identification of natural  species with commercial potential;
       - for research or development purposes
  • Advice on IP-maximising research
  • ​Already researched and patented prospects for licensing
       -  Some may have early development studies carried out
  • CBD export access authorisation from the country of origin
  • Agreements for the use of relevant traditional knowledge.
  • CBD-compliant benefit-sharing agreements
  • Compliance with European/UK Nagoya regulations
  • Managing the sharing of benefit to all stakeholders.
INFORMATION GATHERING
 
There are vast numbers of plant species that are available around the world. Some have local traditional uses; some have been investigated scientifically; many have properties yet to be explored. Our first task is to build up a picture of the commercial potential of as many species as possible. To achieve that, we partner locally in countries to learn about traditional knowledge; we carry out literature searches to ascertain already known properties; and we assess all the facts from an industry perspective, including intellectual property possibilities. The information and local relationships are critical in our ability to identify suitable resources to progress,  and for future negotiations of the various aspects of the access and benefit-sharing process.

At the same time, we take care to respect the cultural identity of indigenous peoples. We aim to bring value to the communities without conflicting with the local culture, nor with the continuance of traditional practices. Open and transparent communication is a key factor in all our activities. We ensure the full participation of all stakeholders in our processes and operations, so that they are fully in control of how their genetic resources and traditional knowledge are to be used.

INTELLECTUAL  PROPERTY
 
If plant extracts, or chemical compounds isolated from them, are to be considered for commercial development, we must also consider the issue of intellectual property; and in particular patent protection.  For a pharmaceutical product, the exclusivity that a  patent provides is essential before any investment would be made to develop a product. In other industries, patent or trademark protection can be valuable, but nor essential. In all cases, IP protection will increase the intrinsic value of natural resources and maximize their commercial potential.

INDIGENA has considerable expertise in IP and, at a minimum, we use an IP assessment in our selection of suitable plant species, by considering whether there is scope for research that could lead to a patentable result. In addition, we can build strong patent patent portfolios, if you need that. On the other hand, if you already have a patent department, or an existing association with a patent firm, that's fine too. We can always offer free patent advice as part of any collaboration.
As regards ownership, patents are usually filed in the name of the entity carrying out the research. Although the source country often requests joint ownership of patents, the important point to realize is that whoever owns the IP, the exclusivity adds value to the genetic resources, so that all parties will benefit, including the country of origin and the indigenous communities.
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