President’s mission to Hungary
On 3 March, EPO President António Campinos took part in the celebrations marking the 130th anniversary of the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office (HIPO). During his visit he met with HIPO President Szabolcs Farkas to discuss intellectual property priorities at both the national and European level.
The mission also formed part of the Office’s ongoing consultations with member states as it prepares a new Scenarios for the Future study, which will explore the potential evolution of the innovation ecosystem, European patent system and European Patent Network (EPN) over the next two decades.
Reinforced cooperation, harmonised practices and shared digital tools
HIPO commemorated its 130th anniversary with an intellectual property conference on 3 March, which President Campinos opened with a keynote speech. In his remarks, he addressed the future of the European patent system and highlighted the importance of maintaining high quality and legal certainty in the face of rapid technological change and increasing global competition. He also underlined the importance of further strengthening the European Patent Network, including deeper integration through the Unitary Patent system, to reinforce Europe as a coherent technology market. Emphasising close co-operation between the EPO and national IP offices, he stressed the value of harmonised practices and shared digital tools.
In the President’s meeting with Mr Farkas following the conference, the discussion covered similar ground, exploring how the European patent system can remain resilient, competitive and responsive in the face of technological, economic and geopolitical developments. Particular attention was given to the modernisation of the European Patent Network, including the enhancement of digital co-operation, convergence of practices, capacity-building and improved joint support for startups and SMEs.
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