New EUIPO Podcast: How IP Can Unlock Financing for Innovation

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has released Episode 5 of its podcast series Creative Sparks: From Inspiration to Innovation, focusing on a key challenge for European businesses: access to finance and the role of intellectual property (IP) in bridging this gap.

Titled “From Lab to Market: IP as the Competitive Advantage,” the episode examines how IP rights can turn intangible assets—such as technologies, trademarks, and designs—into valuable financial tools that support business growth and competitiveness.

The discussion features insights from Michal Kazimierczak, an EUIPO expert on IP valuation and IP-backed finance, and Nicolas Konialidis, a specialist in corporate finance and business valuation. Together, they explore how innovation and finance can be better aligned across Europe.

A key takeaway is the mismatch between the intangible nature of many innovative companies’ assets and the traditional focus of financial systems on physical collateral. The episode highlights how well-managed and properly valued IP can provide structure and credibility to intangible assets, helping businesses unlock new financing opportunities.