RIYADH: The King Abdul Aziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) on Tuesday signed an agreement with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP) joining the National Network of Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISC). The TISC enables innovators to protect and manage their intellectual property rights. The deputy secretary-general of Mawhiba, Basil Al-Sadhan, said the foundation seeks to create an environment that motivates talent and encourages the youth to pursue their passion for science and become future leaders. Al-Sadhan said Mawhiba found the TISC initiative launched by the SAIP helpful in achieving its core mission. “TISC allows Mawhiba to access and employ technical and scientific expertise, provide assistance in searching and analyzing intellectual and technical property databases and obtain information on patents.” By signing the deal, Mawhiba has become one of the 26 entities that are part of SAIP’s national network. SAIP aims to organize, support, sponsor, protect and promote intellectual property in the Kingdom in accordance with global best practices. Al-Sadhan said by joining the network Mawhiba has now gained access to other support services that suit the needs of its students and employees. “The most important of these services is providing guidance on intellectual property rights such as the use of patents, industrial designs, trademarks, and copyrights,” he said. SAIP Vice President Sami Al-Sudais welcomed Mawhiba aboard TISC, which enables users to acquire the technical skills needed to search intellectual property databases.