Dora Diop

AINA: Assets.Intellect.Network from Africa (Senegal)

Dora Diop is the Founder of AINA – Assets. Intellect. Network. Africa, a strategic advisory firm dedicated to innovation governance, intellectual property valuation, and the ethical deployment of emerging technologies across west Africa. She brings more than 14 years of international experience as a Business & IP Lawyer, Corporate Legal Counsel, and Legal Manager supporting high-technology, research and development, and innovation ecosystems.

Dora has held key legal and strategic roles in major organizations, including Collins Aerospace (Ratier Figeac) as Senior Contracts & IP Lead, and the Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique (CEA), where she worked on technology transfer, IP management, and complex R&D partnerships. She has also served as Legal Counsel and IP Specialist for several private companies and universities in Europe, covering business law, contract negotiation, intellectual property protection, and innovation strategy.
Throughout her career, she has negotiated and managed over 500 strategic agreements, overseen large patent portfolios, and built IP and innovation frameworks for universities, research institutions, startups, and multinational companies. Her work bridges global IP and tech-governance standards with African regulatory and operational realities, supporting competitiveness, sovereignty, and long-term value creation.

Through AINA, she advises organizations on structuring innovation practices, strengthening IP and contractual capabilities, and integrating ethical and regulatory considerations into data and AI initiatives—particularly within West Africa and the OAPI/UEMOA regions.

Dora is also a lecturer and international speaker on intellectual property, technology governance, and responsible AI, committed to advancing Africa’s innovation landscape and elevating the strategic value of its intellectual capital globally.