EPO hosts myAbility talent matching event in Vienna
As part of its ongoing commitment to inclusion and equal access to employment, the European Patent Office (EPO) is marking its eighth year of collaboration with myAbility. MyAbility is Europe’s largest German speaking corporate network on the subject of inclusion. Through live talent matching events, myAbility connects candidates with disabilities to employers and enables participants to explore career opportunities. In 2026, the Office took part in the German event in Hamburg on 19 March and, for the first time, hosted the Austrian edition in Vienna on 29 April. The two events brought together around 60 talents with disabilities and representatives from 27 myAbility partner companies, including the EPO.
Event highlights
In Vienna, partner companies included Verbund, REWE Group, BIG, Oesterreichische Nationalbank, Oesterreichische Kontrollbank, Raiffeisen Bank, Raiffeisen Capital Management, Takeda, UNIQA and Wien Energie. In Germany, participating organisations included Google, Beiersdorf, Adidas, Allianz, Generali, Microsoft, PageGroup and PwC.
During the Vienna event, the Office reaffirmed its commitment to equal opportunity and inclusive workplace practices. Building on this, participants learned about the support available to employees with disabilities and explored how technology can enhance accessibility in sports. The programme also featured myAbility talent alumnus Abnor Selimi, who shared his journey from the talent programme to the matching event. The programme continued with a live matching phase, including structured interviews between talents and partner organisations, followed by a networking session.
The event left a lasting impression on attendees, who described the experience as “welcoming, empowering and highly relevant for future career opportunities”. As one noted, “I felt at ease with both the talents and the companies. I especially appreciated that everyone was open and honest about how they were feeling.” Another described what set the experience apart, “The highlight of the day was talking with the companies without having to pretend to be someone else”
Next steps to support inclusion at the EPO
Looking ahead, a job shadowing week will take place in June in co-operation with myAbility. The EPO will welcome talents from myAbility in Germany and Austria, as well as from Emma at Work in The Hague, a non-profit organisation in The Netherlands that supports talents with chronic physical conditions in finding suitable jobs and gaining work experience. This extends the initiative across all sites. Selected candidates will be matched with departments across the EPO, offering first-hand insight into our work.
The events encouraged meaningful dialogue on inclusion and workplace accessibility, reflecting the Office’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in all activities. These efforts include initiatives in talent planning and recruitment to engage talents with disabilities, as well as measures to improve accessibility across our buildings.
