EIC and EPO Will Maintain Their Collaboration to Support Innovators and Entrepreneurs in Europe

The European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA) have reiterated their commitment to collaborating in order to enhance innovation in Europe. During the Viva Technology 2024 conference in Paris, both organisations reviewed their joint activities from the past year, which primarily focused on the European Innovation Council (EIC), and agreed to explore opportunities for extending their cooperation.

The EPO-EIC collaboration has involved successful pilot projects in 2022 and 2023, along with the signing of a letter of intent in June 2023 between the EPO and EISMEA, the agency responsible for implementing the EIC. During these pilots, EPO patent examiners, who are experts in their respective technology fields, assisted the EIC in evaluating the technological novelty and inventiveness of 57 projects seeking EU grants. In 2024, the EPO will assess an additional 100 projects for the EIC.