EPO President delivers keynote at INTA Annual Meeting in London

EPO President Campinos delivering keynote at INTA annual meeting

António Campinos, President of the European Patent Office (EPO),has delivered a keynote at this year’s Annual Meeting of the International Trademark Association (INTA), before an audience from across the global IP community, including in-house counsel and major brand owners. The keynote was one of several engagements during an EPO delegation’s visit to London from 3 to 6 May, including bilateral meetings with the heads of several major national IP offices.

During his speech, President Campinos said that in an economy increasingly driven by intangible assets and shaped by development cycles that AI is accelerating, success depends more than ever on embedding IP in business strategy: "A holistic approach is no longer optional. In practice, this means aligning how we protect technology, how we position it through brands, and how we enforce it consistently across markets."

The combined impact of patents and trade marks

President Campinos highlighted that across Europe, IP-intensive industries account for nearly half of GDP and around one third of all employment. Startups that combine patents and trade marks are over ten times more likely to secure funding, and more than three times more likely to achieve a successful exit.

He also underlined how high-quality patents provide legal certainty as the basis for investment, licensing and market entry. Today, European patent applicants receive a high-quality search report and a preliminary opinion on patentability in around five months. This early assessment, he said, "signals strength to partners and competitors and helps unlock access to finance." 

Europe as an accessible, global innovation hub

The President stressed that to maintain competitiveness, quality must be matched by accessibility and scale, all of which are offered by the Unitary Patent: a single, simple route to patent protection across 18 EU Member States and a market of more than 300 million people. Uptake among smaller players is particularly strong, with SMEs accounting for around 40% of European requests for unitary effect. He also underlined the crucial Europe-wide role of the EPO Academy and the Modular IP Education Framework in building IP skills, of the network of PATLIB patent information centres in providing local support, and of EPO tools such as the Deep Tech Finder in connecting innovation with capital.

Looking to the future and deepening co-operation with INTA

Among the opportunities for deepening co-operation mentioned during the keynote, the EPO's new initiative Scenarios for the Future 2025-2045 explores how the IP system will need to evolve as AI, quantum technologies and global competition make for a rapidly changing innovation landscape.

The President also welcomed dialogue between the EPO and INTA on issues of common interest, including the Unitary Patent, standard essential patents and the overall impact of AI. Finally, he highlighted the recent creation of INTA's Patent Committee as a concrete platform for engagement and knowledge sharing which will help ensure that patents and trade marks continue to achieve their full impact.

Engaging with UK, US and Canadian partners

During the mission, the President held bilateral meetings with the heads of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, John A. Squires, and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, Konstantinos Georgaras, as well as with CEO and Comptroller General of the UK Intellectual Property Office, Adam Williams. EPO experts also contributed to the INTA Annual Meeting programme with sessions on standard essential patents and on the geopolitical dimensions of IP rights.