Since 2015, the world has experienced several key innovations– smartphones, tablets, 3D printing, and, of course, AI assistants and autonomous vehicle technology. It is mainly during this period that SMEs have needed assistance from a free IP Helpdesk the most.
Thankfully, the Latin America IP SME Helpdesk has been supporting EU Small and Medium Enterprises for precisely 10 years, helping thousands of companies and working with Business Support Organisations and other Stakeholders. And here we are, sharing with you all our excitement and hoping to renew our trademark with you for 10 more years.
10 years in short
It’s 2013, and the European Commission (EC) has funded two IP projects to date: the European IP Helpdesk (since 2002) and the China IPR SME Helpdesk (since 2008). It is then that they decide to fund a new project: the MERCOSUR IPR Helpdesk.
The goal of the MERCOSUR IPR SME Helpdesk project was to offer free of charge, first-line support on IP and IP rights matters that aimed to facilitate the expansion of European SMEs (EU SMEs and SMEs from the Associated countries) already established at, or working with entities in Mercosur and Chile (and other Latin American markets, such as Colombia, Mexico, Panama and Peru) as well as those potentially interested in establishing commercial and R&D activities and ventures in these countries.
Just two years later (on 7 July 2015), due to the success of the MERCOSUR project, the EC considerably expanded its services to include 18 Latin American countries. This change was reflected in the Helpdesk's new name, the “Latin America IPR SME Helpdesk”. Besides this decision, the European Commission also decides to create the South-East Asia IP SME Helpdesk.
In 2018, the project dropped the "R" from "IPR" to give it a more global outreach.
During this new phase, the Helpdesk has integrated itself into a common website with the rest of the EC IP Helpdesk (Africa, China, Europe, India, Latin America, and South-East Asia).
A sustainable and adaptive helpdesk
Change has been a constant, and the Helpdesk has always been able to adapt successfully during the previous 10 years:
- Our services have gone from covering Latin American companies interested in doing business with European SMEs to being exclusively for the latter (including those belonging to the COSME and SMP programs).
- We have moved from a 90% in-person format to an almost 100% digital (during the COVID pandemic) and hybrid (online-oriented) format, maintaining the level of quality and efficiency to which we are committed.
- The number of destination countries covered has increased from 6 to more than 18; the number of training courses has increased from 6 to over 70; and the number of case studies for impact measurement has increased from 3 to 30, among other notable figures.
In addition to direct support to SMEs, the Helpdesk has contributed to improving the IP scenario with publications such as the Blueprint Roadmap for EU SMEs: IP Protection and IP Rights Enforcement in Mercosur & Chile, the Blue policy paper and the periodic reports on IP policy in Latin America for the internal use of the European Commission. The helpdesk is always providing tools that serve European institutions to shape more favorable conditions for European businesses abroad, with a realistic diagnosis of the barriers, concerns, challenges, and preferences of European and SMP SMEs when trying to protect their innovation and creativity to prosper in Latin America.
The LA IP SME HD in numbers
The Latin America IP SME HD provides yearly assistance to more than 1,000 users through the varied services we offer: a helpline, matchmaking, training, and awareness-raising events. Nearly 99% of the questions we receive are answered within three working days, in English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese (subject to the availability of experts). As you know, all our services are provided at no cost.
Regarding training, the Helpdesk offers more than 30 training events (online and onsite) annually in Europe and Latin America. Some of our recent events have been carried out in collaboration with various institutions, including South Summit, EUIPO, Eurocámaras Perú, IVACE, ACCIÓ, INAPI Chile, INDECOPI Peru, EBOWN, and ENRICH in LAC, among others.
As it is today, more than 300 IP materials have been created and can be easily accessed on our website. You can browse all our online content using our advanced search tool.
You can also find our key materials by country (19) or sector (Green sector, ICT / Digital Transformation, or other sectors). Please make use of our templates to do business in Latin America.
Please also stay up-to-date with our weekly news and monthly blog.
What’s new?
We're committed to innovation, and in addition to our core services, we've previously developed cutting-edge tools (such as the IP Diagnostic Tool, or the IP Cost Tool) new formats (such as animated, doodle-style videos, and those from Heroes Comic Con Finland and South Summit– to be published–), and a recognizable, user-friendly visual identity (evident in our trade mark cartoon videos and infographics).
New content
Linked to the needs of EU SMEs, the Helpdesk has recently developed new materials that are useful to them, specifically NDA templates and license agreements for use in Brazil and Mexico, as well as IP Yearly Reviews. Moreover, IP Policy briefs have recently been made available to the public, like the recent overview of AI regulation and policy in Latin America.
As part of the new wave of documents, the helpdesk has also begun developing more dynamic content aimed at raising awareness among our SMEs at events regarding Intellectual Property. An example of this is the new video that we have just published, as part of the event Comic Con Finland 2025:
Collaborations
Recently, the Helpdesk has closed two collaborations with Mercado Libre (the biggest e-commerce platform in Latin America) and the Inter-American Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI), a vibrant association of like-minded professionals from around the world contributing with their expertise and experience to the protection of intellectual rights for creators of artistic works and innovators in science, ultimately benefiting humanity.
Contact us
The Latin America IP SME Helpdesk is a valuable resource for small and medium-sized enterprises seeking guidance on intellectual property rights in Latin America. The helpdesk provides expertise on a range of IP issues to protect and enforce intellectual property (IP) rights in or relating to Latin American countries, offering practical advice to help businesses protect their innovations and creations in the region. Overall, the Latin America IP SME Helpdesk plays a crucial role in supporting SMEs in navigating the complex landscape of IP protection in Latin America.
Details
- Publication date
- 7 July 2025
- Author
- European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency