Talk innovation: unlocking technology

Standards are the invisible protocols that ensure our devices and services work together seamlessly. But how do they relate to patents? And what does this mean for innovation and competition?  

 Uncover how the interplay between standards and patents shapes technological progress. This discussion dives into how the Unified Patent Court and the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre aim to streamline patent litigation and enhance legal coherence across Europe.  

Finally, we introduce the European Patent Office's new dataset: the Patent Standards Explorer. By linking patent applications to standards documents, it offers a valuable resource for better understanding the innovation journey.  

More information:  

Standards and the European patent system, May 2025: full study 

Patent Standards Explorer dataset 

"Patents, standards and innovation: securing Europe’s competitive edge" event recording 

Narrator: Victor Arribas Martinez, Stream Leader, EPO Observatory on Patents and Technology 

Guest: Pere Arque Castells, Stream Leader, EPO Observatory on Patents and Technology 

Featuring insights from speakers at the EPO Observatory’s "Patents, standards and innovation: securing Europe’s competitive edge" event: 

• Gabriele Mohsler, Vice President Patent Creation Management, Ericsson 

• Kirti Gupta, Vice President and Chief Economist of Global Technology, Cornerstone Research 

• Bowman Heiden, Director of the Center for Intellectual Property (CIP), University of Gothenburg 

• Justus Baron, Director of BRELA and Research Director, Northwestern University Center on Law, Business and Economics 

• Aleš Zalar, Director, Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre, Unified Patent Court 

• Rian Kalden, Presiding judge of the 2nd panel of the Court of Appeal, Unified Patent Court 

• Alexander Haertel, Cluster Lead Patents, Deutsche Telekom 

• Sophie Pasquier, Principal Licensing Counsel, Philips  

Plastic waste is a pressing global issue, polluting not just our environment but also even our bodies. Thankfully, the latest advancements in plastic waste recovery and recycling are paving the way towards a more sustainable future. 

Join Marguerite McCaughan as she explores the complexities behind these processes and speaks with experts about cutting-edge solutions and the role EU policies play in promoting recycling.  

 In this episode Paloma Aldeguer, Chief of Staff at Recycleye, shares insights into how artificial intelligence and machine learning are revolutionising plastic sorting and recycling. Joana Xavier, Director of Transformation and Sustainability at Valorsul, also discusses the technologies currently employed at Portugal's largest municipal waste processing plant. Pauline Vandoolaeghe, a patent examiner in polymer chemistry, joins the conversation to explain the chemical processes involved in plastic recycling, which include pyrolysis, chemolysis and enzymatic depolymerisation. Together, they provide an insightful look into the future of sustainable plastics.  

Narrator: Marguerite McCaughan, Communications manager, EPO 

Guests: 

Paloma Aldeguer, Chief of Staff, Recycleye 

Joana Xavier, Director of Transformation and Sustainability, Valorsul 

Pauline Vandoolaeghe, Patent examiner, EPO 

Further information:

EPO technology platform on plastic waste management and alternative plastics

Full report "Plastics in transition - technologies for plastics waste management"

Deep Tech Finder

Curious where the latest technology trends are heading?  

The EPO's annual Patent Index offers a comprehensive look into these advancements, tracking  technological growth and patenting activity as well as top applicants and countries in the lead. 

Join EPO experts as they guide you through 2024’s key insights and explore some of the top fields like computer technology; electrical machinery, apparatus, energy; and transport.   They also discuss the uptake of the Unitary Patent and how often women inventors were named on patent applications.  

Narrator:  

Jeremy Philpott, EPO Communication Manager 

Guests: 

Gilles Requena, EPO Chief Patent Research and Policy Officer  

Wiebke Hinrichs, EPO Patent Examiner in Cycles, Frames, Chains & Safety 

Marc Nicolas, Business Analyst at the EPO 

Yann Ménière, EPO Chief Economist  

Further resources:  

Patent Index 2024 

Studies and reports  

Women’s participation in inventive activity (November 2022) 

EPO Observatory on Patents and Technology

How can European startups bridge the funding gap they face compared to their US counterparts?  

 A recent study by the EPO’s Observatory on Patents and Technology highlights the important role of tech-savvy investors and provides a comprehensive mapping of investors supporting European innovators.  

 Discover the unique value that tech-focused investors bring to startups from Adéla Dvořáková, a Tech-to-Market Advisor at the European Innovation Council, and Sara Frykstrand Ångström, Head of Intelligence at Sweden's venture capital fund Industrifonden. Hear them discuss the study’s key findings as they share insights on the importance of a dual financing and IP strategy, the role of smart and patient capital and the need for a balanced pipeline of investors at various stages of a startup’s technological maturity. They also discuss the main challenges European investors face compared to their US counterparts. 

 Moderator: 

Pere Arque Castells, EPO Observatory on Patents and Technology 

 Guests: 

Adéla Dvořáková, Tech –to Market Advisor, European Innovation Council 

 Sara Frykstrand Ångström, Head of Intelligence, Industrifonden  

Further resources: 

 “Mapping investors” study 

 Financing innovation programme of the EPO’s Observatory on Patents and Technology 

 Deep Tech Finder - EPO’s tool helping match startups with investors 

Space technology is evolving at light speed and may

Moderator:

Johannes Schaaf, EPO Chief Economist Unit

Guests:

Lars Petzold, Research Fellow, European Space Policy Institute

Stephan Speidel, Technology Transfer Engineer, HE Space

Geert Boedt, EPO Chief Economist Unit

Further resources:

Patent insight report on propulsion systems for space (May 2024)

Space innovation platform

Previous podcasts on space: 

“From Mars to Morocco: space innovations for Earth challenges”

"Houston, we have solutions"

"Earth observations for a greener planet" podcast

Inspiring Inventors 

Hearing loss, high blood pressure, heart disease…these are just some medical issues that can be caused by loud noise. Friends and business partners Rhona Togher and Eimear O’Carroll are tackling this problem with an advanced acoustic material that can dampen noise in a variety of applications. What began as a school science fair project evolved into a business with a unique product and exceptional potential. In this episode, we explore Rhona’s journey and how friendship became the foundation for a groundbreaking business. We’ll also hear about the vital support they received from local business development organisations and patent attorneys.  

 Moderator: Edward Cooke, EPO, patent examiner 

Inspiring Inventors:

Each episode features a former European Inventor Award finalist, delves into the story behind their invention and provides insights on how they took their idea from the lab to the market. 

Leading Tech Voices: industries of the future

Has graphene lived up to the hype it generated 20 years ago? And what do 3D-printed ceramics and Egyptian pyramids have in common? In this episode, two expert entrepreneurs explain how these materials are contributing to sustainability across industries. With graphene as the potential key to more energy-efficient data centres, and additive manufacturing producing ultra-durable ceramics with a wide variety of applications in fields such as biomedicine, prepare to discover how these materials have been transformed for maximum impact.

Moderator:

Pia Björk, Director in the EPO’s Communication department and an engineer in materials science

Speakers:

Amaia Zurutuza, Scientific director at Graphenea

Johannes Homa, founder and CEO at Lithoz

This episode is part of a special podcast series where each episode focuses on one of five major technology areas. It builds on the EPO’s 50 Leading Tech Voices project, in which global tech leaders were invited to share how they believe inventiveness can help create a brighter and more sustainable future.  You can read their statements and watch discussion panels on our website:

Further information:

How do you handle the lengthy process of getting a patent?

An episode in a weekly pilot series of bite-sized podcasts designed to give inventors, startups, entrepreneurs,

More information at:

New to patents

Startup guide

The general information in these podcasts provides only a

Leading Tech Voices: health & well-being

EPO examiner Tom Kink leads a conversation with eminent inventors and scholars in the area of medical technologies, professors Gordon Chang and Chris Hancock. The talk highlights the significant increase in patent applications in medical technologies over the past decade emphasizing the role of interdisciplinary collaboration, advancements

Moderator:

Tom Kink, examiner specializing in the field of surgical tools and navigation at the EPO

Speakers:

Professor Gordon Cheng, Co-founder of Intouch-Robotics, Chair Professor for Cognitive Systems and Director of the

Professor Chris Hancock, CTO and Founder of Creo Medical Group PLC and

This episode is part of a special podcast series where each episode focuses on one of five major technology areas. It

Further information:

Series playlist

Leading Tech Voices statements 2023

Leading Tech voices panel discussions 2023

As an inventor, micro-entity, startup or university

An episode in a weekly pilot series of bite-sized podcasts designed to give inventors, startups, entrepreneurs,

More information at:

New to patents

Startup guide

The general information in these podcasts provides