In 2019 the global market for vaccines was estimated to be worth $33 billion (US), barely 2.5% of the global market for pharmaceuticals. The COVID-19 pandemic has put vaccines into the spotlight. Helena Domingues and Zoran Cilenšek are experts in immunology and experienced examiners. They explain the evolving technologies, the new entrants and the changes in patent applicants’ filing behaviour.

Moderator: Jeremy Philpott, Communications Manager, EPO

Guests: Helena Domingues, patent examiner, EPO, and Zoran Cilenšek, patent examiner, EPO

See epo.org/patent-index2021

The current production delays caused by shortages of semiconductor chips prove just how much our cars have become computers on wheels. The automotive and ICT industries are converging. And patent applications to the EPO both for transport and digital technologies grew significantly last year, as revealed in our Patent Index for 2021. Two experienced examiners explain the evolving technologies, the new entrants and the changes in patent applicants’ filing behaviour.

Moderator: Jeremy Philpott, Communications Manager, EPO

Guests: Rupert Plenk, patent examiner, EPO, and Patrick Pascheka, patent examiner, EPO

See epo.org/patent-index2021

The new Patent Index 2021 reports on the latest trends in patent filings to the EPO. Digital technologies have boomed, and healthcare remained strong. But nearly half of all technology sectors have still not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Filings from China have risen by 24% in 2021, and have quadrupled over the last decade. The Patent Index 2021 also reveals the rankings for the leading applicants and countries. It is a complex, evolving picture, so to help make sense of it all Aidan and Yann review and interpret the statistics which reveal the course of global innovation.

Moderator: Jeremy Philpott, Communications Manager, EPO

Guests: Aidan Kendrick, Chief Business Analyst, EPO, and Yann Ménière, Chief Economist, EPO

See epo.org/patent-index2021

There are many players in Europe’s IP ecosystem, some offering mostly free advice and support, others providing paid-for legal services. These need not be rivals, but rather complement each other. A good example is how over 300 PATLIB centres, found in many major European cities, can work with local patent attorneys to support inventors and entrepreneurs.

Christoph Hoock, Director at PATON, patent centre of Thuringia, a PATLIB in Germany and Jasper Werhan, partner at the Patent Attorney firm Meissner Bolte also in Germany, have built a strong working relationship over the last 30 years. They describe their cooperation as a win-win-win situation benefiting each of their organisations and their clients too. They explain the role of PATLIB centres, who their customers are and why patent attorneys and PATLIB centres should be working together to increase their client base and provide the best services to inventors and thereby promote innovation in Europe. This episode is moderated by EPO examiner Ed Cooke.

Find out more about PATLIBs

Save the date for the PATLIB2022 online conference

What makes inventors tick? We at the EPO have launched a new talk series - Inspiring inventors - which gives you a unique opportunity to interact with the inventors, learn from their inspiring experiences, and take a closer look at what goes into successfully bringing an invention to market. 

In the first instalment, Italian physicist and company founder Marco Donolato shares his journey with patent examiner Edward Cooke. Nominated for the Award in 2021, Donolato and his team developed an automated device to test for infectious diseases. The invention uses a modified Blu-ray optical pick-up to detect light scattered by magnetic nanoparticles clustered around target antibodies. The low-cost, easy to use device can diagnose dengue, Zika or SARS-CoV-2 from a single drop of blood, making it ideal for resource poor regions.

Read more about Marco Donolato

Renewable energy systems like wind power plants are heavily reliant on sensors for their smooth autonomous operation. Building on innovative research from the German Technical University of Munich (TUM), start-up company Fos4X successfully developed and commercialised fibre optical sensor technology that makes wind turbines safer and less vulnerable to severe weather conditions. TUM institute director Professor Alexander Koch, who is also a European patent attorney, encouraged four young entrepreneurs to found Fos4X. Together with Christian Hackl, a technology transfer expert at TUM-Tech, Prof. Koch will explain how patents laid the foundation for the fast-growing spin-out and its successful exit.

Read the case study

One of the most exciting developments in surgery being seen today is the application of augmented reality. This innovative imaging technology assists surgeons by mixing real vision of a patient’s body with digital information (e.g. vital signs or anatomical atlases) in real time, making procedures safer and more affordable. João Barreto, an entrepreneurial professor from the Portuguese University of Coimbra and the founder of Perceive 3D, took up the challenge to commercialise a promising technology in medical imaging, despite the small size of the local market. Together with José Ricardo Aguilar, Head of Legal/IP at Instituto Pedro Nunes, Prof. Barreto will explain how broad patent protection and a vibrant innovation eco-system paved the way for market success.

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Meeting virtually for an after-work chat in the European Patent Bar, three patent attorneys discuss their work on the SACEPO Working Party on Guidelines. The latest version of the EPC and PCT-EPO Guidelines for examination have been published and come into force on 1 March. The experts discuss some of the key changes to the Guidelines, and the most significant topics which provoked debate within the Working Party, like adaptation to the description, claim-like clauses, colour drawings and changes proposed by the examiner. They even discuss what issues they expect to address in future (e.g. oral proceedings by videoconference). The EPO’s current user consultation on the Guidelines (until 15 April) invites more feedback from all patent professionals!

The views of the speakers are their own and not necessarily those of the EPO, epi, FICPI or BusinessEurope, nor of EP&C, PV or BASF.

Moderator: Jordi Kox, associate partner at EP&C in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Guests: Anette Hegner, senior European patent attorney at PV in Hellerup near Copenhagen, Denmark and Heiko Sendrowski, senior counsel at BASF in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany

Take part in the online consultation

3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is already disrupting prototyping and production in many fields. It brings flexibility to the manufacturing process and unprecedented design freedom, heralding a future with broader creative possibilities. 

A leading researcher in 3D printing technologies and Cubicure’s co-founder, Prof. Jürgen Stampfl and Karin Hofmann, one of TU Vienna`s leading patent and licensing managers, explain how a long-term technology transfer strategy with a smart allocation of IP usage rights established an international hub for state-of-the art-research in additive manufacturing as well as the creation of several successful spin-outs, such as Cubicure.

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The speed, weight and power of the latest e-bikes can surprise many riders – they need better brakes. With electrical power on board, it is now possible to integrate anti-lock braking systems (ABS) specifically adapted to make this increasingly popular mode of green transport safer. Listen to Blubrake’s co-founder, Fabio Todeschini and technology transfer expert Professor Granieri explain how a smart patenting strategy turned engineers into entrepreneurs, leading to a successful spin-out from the Politecnico di Milano and their partner incubator e-Novia.

Moderator: Stephanie Weber, Communication Manager, European IP Helpdesk

Guests: Massimiliano Granieri, Professor of Law at the University of Brecia and Fabio Todeschini, General Manager of Blubrake

Read the case study