​EPO underlines commitment to sustainability and quality in week of European engagement​

In early November, EPO President António Campinos, supported by Vice-Presidents, led a series of meetings with key stakeholders in Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy. He met with Ministers in all three countries, as well as the heads of the national IP offices and leading user associations in the UK and Italy. The engagement focused on the EPO’s progress in operations and sustainability, and included more focused discussions on quality, the work of the EPO’s Observatory on Patents and Technology and our co-operation with member states. It reflected a shared commitment between the EPO and our partners to strengthen the European patent system, enhance the quality of services, and make patent protection more accessible. 

Strengthening co-operation with member states  

On 4 November, President Campinos, Vice-President Nellie Simon and Vice-President Christoph Ernst met Germany’s Federal Minister of Justice und Consumer Protection, Stefanie Hubig, in Berlin. Their discussions focused on the EPO’s close co-operation with its host state, the Office’s strong financial and operational results, and the success of the Unitary Patent in supporting innovation in Europe.   

The EPO underlined the importance of the excellent, long-standing and trusted collaboration with the German Federal Ministry of Justice, which has enabled the implementation of numerous initiatives in recent years, including the relocation of the EPO’s Berlin sub-office to a new representative building at Alexanderplatz.   

In London, the President and Vice-President Steve Rowan met Kanishka Narayan, the UK’s recently appointed Minister responsible for IP, to discuss the importance of the UK-EPO relationship, the UK’s pioneering role in IP-backed financing and the broader contribution of IP to economic growth. The EPO delegation also met Adam Williams, CEO and Comptroller of the UK Intellectual Property Office, to explore new opportunities for co-operation.  

On 10 November in Rome, the President met Italy’s Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, and Amedeo Teti, Head of the Department for Market and Consumer Protection. Talks centred on how to achieve the objectives of the Draghi report, and the European Commission’s Competitiveness Compass, by supporting SMEs and micro-entities to scale-up, commercialise and their bring technologies to the market. The Italian Patent and Trademark Office (UIBM) has been an active contributor to the Observatory’s studies on sustainability and emerging technologies and are set to continue this productive collaboration with the EPO under the Observatory’s new biennial work plan. 

Engaging with users on quality and innovation 

The visits also provided an opportunity to engage with users in their national settings. In London, President Campinos joined Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) Honorary Secretary Gwilym Roberts for a fireside chat with members of the UK patent-attorney community. The discussion focused on the EPO’s priorities under its Strategic Plan 2028 and its holistic approach to quality including user engagement through the Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO (SACEPO), Stakeholder Quality Assurance Panels (SQAPs), the implementation of the Quality Action Plan 2025, and continuous feedback via the User Satisfaction Survey.  

Building on these exchanges, President Campinos and Vice-President Rowan met with CIPA and the IP Federation to continue discussions on quality, user engagement and the responsible use of AI, as well as the contribution of the EPO’s Observatory in tracking emerging innovation trends. Both associations welcomed the EPO’s open dialogue and its continued commitment to excellence, transparency and digital transformation. 

In Rome, the EPO President met Francesco De Santis, Vice-President for Research and Development at leading Italian industry association Confindustria. Mr Campinos expressed his appreciation for Confindustria’s strong commitment to advancing research, competitiveness and a vibrant “cultura del brevetto”. The meeting focused on shared objectives such as strengthening Europe’s innovation ecosystem, the EPO’s Deep Tech Finder, supporting SMEs and start-ups, and raising awareness of the value of patent protection.