Device on. Headphones on. Press play. Game on! But… what goes into a video game?

What drives innovation in hardware, software and graphics? Could you become a video game developer and maybe even change the world for the better? Join a tech expert and patent examiner for a unique look at the technology behind your favourite titles.

You’ll never look at games the same again!

Patrick Mikulastik and Anne-Marie Imafidon

Music by: YipYep

How are European startups using patents and trade marks to raise finance? The high failure rates of promising startups are often linked to their cashflow problems, so this a topic of critical importance for Europe’s economy. The authors of a recent study discuss their findings with regard to patents, trade marks and startup finance.

Guests:          

Nathan Wajsman, Chief Economist, EU Intellectual Property Office

Moderator:  Jeremy Philpott, manager in Communications, European Patent Office

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a disruptive technology coming of age. The EPO’s latest study reveals explosion in global patenting activity in 3D printing and other forms of AM, now being deployed in construction, healthcare and transport.

Moderator:

Guests:

Download the study

More about additive manufacturing on our website

Elena García Armada invented a robotic exoskeleton for children who use wheelchairs, vastly improving their rehabilitation. However, going from lab to market was no mean feat. The Spanish robotics expert had to navigate clinical testing, impress investors, learn about intellectual property and attract world-class engineers to work on her ambitious project. But seeing smiles on the faces of young patients who walk for the very first time have made the journey worthwhile. This episode is part of the Inspiring Inventors series, which looks at ground-breaking technologies and the people behind them. 

Moderator: Edward Cooke, Patent examiner, European Patent Office 

Guest: Elena García Armada, Co-founder and CEO, Marsi Bionics 

More about Elena García Armada: https://new.epo.org/en/news-events/european-inventor-award/meet-the-finalists/elena-garcia-armada

A simple cheek swab could begin a new lease on life for patients with leukaemia. Stem cell typing is the first step in matching patients with donors. Join us to learn about typing from donors, people who've conquered a blood cancer, a biotechnology expert and a PR manager at an NGO that recruits donors and supports patients. We'll also provide details on an up-coming stem cell typing drive in Munich and The Hague, one of the ways we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the European Patent Convention this year.

Moderator:

Guests:

Aliki Nichogiannopolou, EPO Director: DNA, peptide and cell biotechnology

Andreas Böhm-Pélissier, member of an EPO Boards of Appeal

Jennifer Andersen, DKMS, Public relations manager

Two scientists-turned-entrepreneurs have created the technology platform S-TIR for immunology vaccines, enabling treatments for allergies and cancer. Based on their strong patent portfolio they founded several start-up companies for product development and technology commercialisation. In this podcast they explain how IP was essential for attracting investment as well as generating licensing revenue early on. This was crucial given the long time-to-market periods that are typical in biotechnology.

The EPO has recently published three new case studies highlighting the role of IP in creating businesses that are bringing technologies to market to diagnose and/or treat cancer.

Download the case studies: https://www.epo.org/learning/materials/sme/innovation-case-studies/technology-transfer-case-studies.html

The latest Patent Index shows that clean energy technologies are driving a surge in patent applications. New filings in the field of electrical machinery, apparatus and energy grew by 18.2% in 2022, and battery technologies (which is a sub-field herein) grew by 48%. Our experts discuss the leading countries in this exciting field and give insights into what is driving the innovations in clean energies, including hydrogen, batteries, wind, solar and geothermal energy.

Moderator: Jeremy Philpott, Communications Manager, EPO

Guests: Yann Ménière, Chief Economist, EPO, and Victor Veefkind, patent examiner, EPO

See epo.org/patent-index2022

The latest Patent Index shows that the top three fields of technology – digital communication, medical technology and computer technology – alone comprised nearly a quarter of all filings to the EPO in 2022. These areas are converging to create a revolution in smart healthcare, with devices monitoring, diagnosing and even treating us without a doctor’s opinion or a stay in hospital. The experts discuss the leading applicants in this exciting field and give insights into what is driving the innovations in smart health.

Moderator: Jeremy Philpott, Communications Manager, EPO

Guests: Carlos Rivera Pons, Team Manager EPO, and Riccardo Carta, patent examiner, EPO 

See epo.org/patent-index2022

Sensor tech supports sustainability by delivering crucial climate data. We explore the satellite-based sensors that forecast weather, detect pollution, protect biodiversity and monitor the environment. Experts from the European Patent Office, the European Space Policy Institute and the European Space Agency dive into their recent joint study, which shows a meteoric rise of patent applications in space-borne sensing. Could innovation in space be key for a greener planet?

Moderated by Tomas Hrozensky from the European Space Policy Institute with the participation of Johannes Schaaf from the European Patent Office and  Stephan Speidel from HE Space Operations working closely with the European Space Agency.

See the Patent Insights report on “Space-borne sensing and green applications” 

Patent documents quoted by Johannes for illustrative purposes: EP3469516B1  EP3655743B1 EP2193449B1

Innovation in hydrogen is booming, not just in production, but also in storage and applications. Current hydrogen production relies heavily on fossil fuels, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Electricity from renewable sources (wind, solar etc.), using new electrolyser technologies, herald a new era for this clean energy source. But which countries and sectors are in the lead, and what are the challenges to the hydrogen revolution?

Moderator: Jeremy Philpott, Communications Manager, EPO

Guests: Simon Bennett, Technology Analyst at IEA, and Yann Ménière, EPO Chief Economist

See epo.org/trends-hydrogen