EPO meets with European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

The European Patent Office (EPO) met today with members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). The meeting at the EPO’s Munich headquarters commenced with Vice-President for Legal and International Affairs Christoph Ernst welcoming the ITRE delegation, led by MEP Tsvetelina Penkova, the Committee’s Vice-Chair.

Unitary Patent system: boosting European competitiveness and innovation

Exchanges highlighted the vital importance of the Unitary Patent system to boosting European competitiveness and innovation. Unitary Patents currently make it possible to get patent protection in up to 18 EU Member States by submitting a single request to the EPO, making the procedure simpler and more cost effective for applicants. This explains the significance of encouraging all EU Member States to adopt the system, as proposed in the Draghi report. Updates were also provided on the success of the Unitary Patent in making the patent system more accessible to SMEs, universities and micro-entities.

Patent intelligence for informed European policymaking

Further, discussions emphasised the potential of patent intelligence to inform European policy on re-industrialisation, particularly when it comes to the latest technology trends and how to translate innovation into commercialisation. ITRE delegates expressed special interest in the EPO’s Deep Tech Finder, which connects universities, their spin-outs and other investment-ready startups by providing a blend of patent and business intelligence. Updates were also provided on the latest activities of the EPO’s Observatory on Patents and Technology, including the launch of its forthcoming study on technology standards and patents, which takes place in Paris and online next month.

Outlook

The meeting took place shortly after EPO President António Campinos met with industry and policy leaders in Brussels last month, where the EPO launched its Patent Index 2024. ITRE delegates expressed an interest in staying in close contact with the EPO so as to continue exchanging on the latest developments in science, technology and innovation.

More on ITRE

ITRE legislates on several key policy areas of the European Union. The committee is responsible for energy, research and innovation, industry and SMEs, digital, telecoms and cybersecurity, as well as space policy.