EPO meets with Daikin Industries
On 9 June 2026, the European Patent Office (EPO) held a meeting with Daikin Industries Ltd., a Japanese company active in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) products as well as chemical technologies.
Hosted at the EPO’s Isar building in Munich, the meeting brought together the Daikin delegation, led by Mr Takeo Abe, General Manager of the IP Department of Daikin Industries Ltd. and Managing Director of the Japan Intellectual Property Association (JIPA), and the EPO delegation headed by Mr Steve Rowan, Vice-President Patent Granting Process. Several EPO directors, team managers and examiners across technical areas joined the meeting.
The exchange forms part of the EPO’s ongoing efforts under its Quality Action Plan to strengthen dialogue with industry. It marked the 120th user meeting since the initiative was launched in 2021 under Strategic Plan 2023, and the 14th this year.
Strategy in focus
The EPO outlined its strategic vision and the five drivers of the Strategic Plan 2028, with particular emphasis on quality, people, tools – including those leveraging artificial intelligence, geographical coverage and partnerships.
Mr Abe presented Daikin’s patent filing strategy, highlighting the company’s international outlook, commitment to creative intellectual property and broad IP landscape. They outlined that this approach not only acts as a driver of commercial success, but as a tool for broader benefit. The company uses licensing to ensure its technologies are widely adopted and tracks the environmental benefits of this approach.
The value of open dialogue
Daikin praised the EPO for the quality and timeliness of its products, noting improvements in examination timeliness and the continued high level of quality.
Mr Abe thanked the EPO delegation for the open exchange and insights shared, describing the meeting as meaningful and pleasant. The exchange underlined the value of sustained dialogue with key users to support continuous improvement across the patent granting process.
About Daikin Industries
Daikin Industries Ltd. is headquartered in Osaka, Japan, and manufactures and sells commercial, industrial and institutional HVAC products. The company is increasingly active in chemical technologies for semiconductors, automotive, ICT, medical, home living and construction applications. In the Technology Dashboard 2025, the company ranked 66th among the EPO’s top applicants.
