EPO marks Hungary’s EU presidency

Christoph Ernst, at the conference Intellectual Property in the age of AI in Budapest

A delegation led by Christoph Ernst, EPO Vice-President Legal and International Affairs, attended the conference Intellectual Property in the age of AI in Budapest to mark the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Vice-President delivered a keynote speech and held bilateral meetings with Mr Szabols Farkas, the President of the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office (HIPO), and Mr Balázs Gulyás, Co-Chairman of the National Policy Council and President of Hungarian Research Network (Hun-Ren).

Empowering intellectual property with AI

Speaking at the AI conference, Vice-President Ernst emphasised the EPO's readiness to continue to foster the building of a robust, competitive and sustainable innovation ecosystem: “Europe must remain a magnet for innovators, not a stepping stone. We have bright minds with bright ideas, so the EPO is finding ways to unleash them through an inclusive, accessible patent system that works for start-ups, SMEs, universities and individual inventors.”

He highlighted the rapid pace of technological change, particularly in AI, and the need for Europe to harness its full potential in a technology and knowledge-based economy. As an example, he outlined the EPO’s AI-driven tools to enhance patent processes, maintain quality and overcome language barriers. He noted the human-centric approach in integrating new technologies to support examiners and ensure a high-quality patent system. Vice-President Ernst stressed the role of intellectual property and patents in driving economic growth and job creation, referencing the EPO’s studies on the topic. He also advocated for a dynamic single market and noted the increasing uptake of the Unitary Patent, particularly among smaller businesses.

AI, academia and cooperation

In the first of two bilateral meetings, the EPO and HIPO discussed co-operation under Strategic Plan 2028. Delegates exchanged on the Observatory, the Unitary Patent and IT cooperation, in particular the role of AI. The EPO thanked HIPO for supporting several of its AI initiatives and discussed the potential to collaborate on additional projects in the future.

During the second bilateral meeting, the EPO and Hun-Ren focussed on the Unitary Patent for academia and research and technology organisations. They also discussed technology transfer and the importance of integrating IP into the work of research institutions. EPO and Hun-Ren agreed to continue these discussions and to involve the EPO’s Patent Academy to explore potential future collaboration.