EPO meets with Thales
On 22 April, the European Patent Office (EPO) met with a delegation from Thales, a technology-driven multinational company. The meeting centred on sustainability, the Unitary Patent and patent quality, which are key strategic topics for both Thales and EPO. Through its Quality Action Plan 2024, the EPO will hold 50 such meetings under the initiative "deepened dialogue with our users". This initiative supports user engagement, helping the EPO gather valuable feedback and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
In a recorded interview following the meeting, Jérôme Planté-Bordeneuve (Thales Director Analysis and Valorisation of Technological Assets) praised the EPO’s examiners for their expertise and rigorous examination process. He also emphasised Thales’ footprint in Europe and need for robust patents: “We must be able to protect our inventions in Europe through a recognised patent authority. The EPO has worldwide stature, a very high level of expertise and is a strong member of the innovation ecosystem in Europe.”
The recording marks the first episode of “The voice of our users,” a new video series in which users are invited to share their views on the EPO and its practices.
After the successful exchange, EPO and Thales agreed to maintain dialogue and organise a technical meeting. During the follow-up meeting operational experts will discuss the patent protection of emerging technologies such as quantum algorithms.
About Thales
Thales was ranked 72 in the Patent Index 2023 and is an active user of the Unitary Patent. The company is a technology-driven organisation and in 2023 invested €4bn in research and development, including €1.1bn in self-funding. Thales filed 320 applications in 2023 across its three core business segments: aerospace and space, defence and security, and cybersecurity and digital identity.
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