EPO and Saudi Arabia sign Reinforced Partnership agreement

Munich, 19 November 2021 - The European Patent Office (EPO) announces that it has signed a Reinforced Partnership agreement with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP). SAIP Chief Executive Officer Abdulaziz Al-Swailem and EPO President António Campinos signed the agreement at a virtual meeting on 18 November.

Under the partnership, the EPO will support SAIP in improving the quality of their products and services through training and best practice sharing. The two offices will also co-operate on outreach and awareness initiatives in Saudi Arabia and the surrounding region, which would contribute to fostering ties with businesses seeking patent protection locally.

"This agreement is a long-term strategic partnership, based on a shared vision: the further development of the patent system as a catalyst for innovation, technology transfer and economic growth," said EPO President Campinos.

SAIP Chief Executive Officer Abdulaziz Al-Swailem said: "Patents play a major role as the importance of a knowledge-based economy develops in Saudi Arabia, and co-operation with the EPO will strengthen SAIP activities as a fully integrated IP authority and regional IP hub."

This is the tenth Reinforced Partnership the EPO has signed with the national office of a non-member state, following previous agreements with Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Mexico, Indonesia, South Africa, and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO).

The EPO's Reinforced Partnership programme seeks to further integrate and strengthen the global patent system by providing our partner offices with direct access to the work done by our 4 300 highly qualified and specialised patent examiners. This in turn will improve conditions for applicants filing patents internationally and foster innovation by supporting the partner offices in providing improved services to local applicants. So far under the programme, the EPO's partner offices have issued some 105 000 work products where corresponding EPO search and examination results have been at least partially used. About 40 training events and expert exchanges between the EPO and partner offices have been organised over the past two years.

For more details, read the full EPO news item of 18 November 2021.

Media contacts European Patent Office

Luis Berenguer Giménez
Principal Director Communication / Spokesperson
Tel.: +49 89 2399 1203
press@epo.org