EPO and ETSI renew co-operation during first high-level meeting

Video interview with ETSI Director-General Jan Ellsberger

On 27 November 2025, the European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) held their first high-level meeting at the EPO’s headquarters in Munich, marking a new chapter in a partnership that spans two decades.

During the meeting, EPO Vice-President for Legal and International Affairs Christoph Ernst and ETSI Director-General Jan Ellsberger signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a 3-year Work Plan.

A forward-looking framework for innovation

In his opening remarks, Vice-President Ernst underlined how the renewed MoU reflects the EPO’s commitment to building future-oriented partnerships that enhance transparency, quality and digital transformation across the global innovation ecosystem. “The EPO and ETSI stand at the crossroads of technology and regulation” he said. “Our co-operation ensures that innovation can flourish – built on reliable standards, transparent patent information and public trust in Europe’s innovation system.”

He also noted that the link between patents and standards is increasingly vital for Europe’s competitiveness in rapidly evolving fields such as 6G, artificial intelligence, quantum and clean technologies.

ETSI Director-General Jan Ellsberger also welcomed the renewed agreement as a milestone in connecting the worlds of standardisation and intellectual property. “Working with the EPO advances our shared mission to support Europe’s technological leadership through open, transparent and interoperable systems,” he said. As part of the visit the EPO took the opportunity to record an interview with Mr Ellsberger.

EPO Vice-President Ernst and ETSI Director-General Ellsberger signing the MoU and Work Plan 

Connecting patents and standards for quality and transparency

The MoU reaffirms the EPO’s long-standing access to ETSI standards and working documents, which are essential sources of non-patent literature in examination of telecom inventions. These materials play a central role in ensuring the quality, consistency and reliability of patent searches and decisions. The agreement also introduces new areas of collaboration on education, SME outreach and policy communication.

A key focus for future co-operation will be on improving transparency in standard-essential patents (SEPs) through direct data links between ETSI’s IPR database and EPO patent tools such as Espacenet, PATSTAT and the Technology Intelligence Platform. By helping users access SEP information, this integration enables greater transparency and supports evidence-based policymaking and innovation management.

The EPO is recognised as a reference point in Europe for evidence-based SEP transparency. With the world’s most comprehensive databases, advanced AI-supported search tools and deep examination expertise, the Office is uniquely positioned to provide neutral, fact-driven insights into essentiality, prior art and technology convergence. This role is further reinforced through the EPO Observatory, which analyses patent–standards interactions and supports policymakers with authoritative data and foresight.

Shared priorities for Europe’s innovation landscape

Work Plan 2025–2028 defines joint activities focused on data integration, SME training, joint outreach events and analytical co-operation with the EPO Observatory on Patents and Technology. Together, these initiatives will help bridge the gap between technical standards and patent knowledge, promoting Europe’s sustainable growth and digital resilience.