On October 11 – 28, CLDP hosted Iraq’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Innovation, Research, and Development on a program titled “Innovation Ecosystem”.  The program is part of CLDP’s larger effort is assisting the Committee in designing an ecosystem that supports commercialization of technology and university based research and development (R&D).   The program, which was attended by participants from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Industry and Minerals, and Ministry of Higher Educations, provided a unique opportunity to visit the University of Madison Wisconsin and the Georgia Institute of Technology to learn about technology transfer, commercialization, Intellectual Property Licensing, business incubators, and university based research and development (R&D).    Participants also benefited from attending sessions at the Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA) at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) of the Department of Commerce.  The delegation also visited the Maryland Technology Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO) and the Emerging Technology Center (ETC) in Baltimore, Maryland to learn about venture catalysts and successful incubation models.  CLDP also coordinated with InfoDEV of the World Bank and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to discuss how to develop financial mechanisms that would foster economic development in Iraq.  Through our continued collaboration with the Inter-Ministerial Committee, CLDP aims to advance the technical capacity of Iraq’s scientific and legal community in innovating new technology that will accelerate Iraq’s path to economic stability.