EPO Joins Forces with EIT to Deepen Innovation Capacity

The European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) have entered into closer cooperation. The two organisations recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) laying out their ongoing cooperation efforts. With the signed MoU, both organisations have agreed on complementary roles in fostering innovation and increasing support for European innovators and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).  

The agreement defines the specific collaboration activities, projects and programmes to be implemented in the spirit of common commitment to innovation. With the cooperation, EPO and EIT aim to tackle innovation-related challenges, foster an intellectual property culture among researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs, and to boost economic growth.

Under this new framework, four main cooperation areas are identified: "Business support activities", "Technology trends and economic studies", "Education and training" and "Awareness raising and promotion". The activities will be implemented through annual workplans that are jointly developed by both organisations.