The European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Innovation Council (EIC) and its Small and Medium Enterprises Executive Agency (EISMEA) have signed a cooperation agreement to jointly support the development of breakthrough technologies and innovation systems in Europe. Innovators and entrepreneurs are supported and, with the help of EPO's expertise, innovative ideas are transformed into products. The EPO and EIC will assist innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups, research institutions, universities and other institutions to enhance the value of patents and further commercialize them by organizing various promotional activities and trainings.
EIC is the core organization of the European Innovation Plan. It was established to identify, develop and expand the scale of breakthrough technologies and subversive traditional innovations. EIC is planned and produced by Horizon Europe in Europe. It has a budget of 101 euros from 2021 to 2027, which is used for support from early-stage research and development, to proof of concept, technology transfer, as well as financing for new ventures and small and medium-sized enterprises, and expanding the scale of operations. As cooperation develops, EPO will provide assistance including patent review, EPO Patent Academy, etc. The cooperation between EPO and EISMEA will focus on three major areas:
1. Draw a patent activity map based on patent trend analysis and analyze the regions where European technology competitiveness is located;
2. Provide training for EIC employees, enterprises and institutions to promote patent commercialization;
3． Assist EIC in patent evaluation and select the companies with the most potential based on their technological novelty, innovative value and business strategy.
The EPO's Patent and Technology Observatory will also join EISMEA to deepen its understanding of the patent activities of innovative companies.
