Simon N. Njuguna

I am a self-motivated professional specializing in innovation support through design thinking, patent drafting, and in-depth patent search and analytics. With over ten years of experience at the Directorate of Intellectual Property Management and University-Industry Liaison at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), I guide innovators from idea generation to IP protection and commercialization.

My academic background fuses engineering and intellectual property: I hold a Master’s in Agricultural and Processing Engineering and am currently pursuing a Master’s in Intellectual Property at Africa University, Zimbabwe. My research focuses on “The Role of Intellectual Property Protections on Innovations in Food Product Development in Kenya,” underscoring my commitment to bridging practical innovation with robust IP systems.

My core strength is helping innovators generate patentable ideas using design thinking; empathizing with users, defining real problems, ideating solutions, prototyping, and iterating. I integrate these principles into training programs, empowering university students, faculty, and startups to transform raw ideas into inventive, IP-ready concepts.

I am adept at patent drafting, translating technical innovations into clear, enforceable claims. I have developed numerous PCT-ready and national patent documents, ensuring patents are both legally robust and strategically positioned for market success. I also demystify claim language, novelty, and inventive step for innovators.

My expertise in patent search and analytics includes conducting prior art searches, freedom-to-operate assessments, patentability analyses, and landscape mapping using tools like Espacenet, WIPO Patentscope, and google patents. These insights help innovators avoid infringement risks, identify market opportunities, and benchmark competitors. I also train others to leverage these tools for data-driven innovation decisions.

With advanced certifications from WIPO, JPO, and EPO in IP management, patent drafting, analytics, and arbitration, I bring global best practices to local innovation ecosystems. I deliver interactive trainings both online and in-person, focused on building innovation capacity through practical IP skills.