EUIPO organises Third Virtual Knowledge Exchange Meeting of MERCOSUR IPOs: Green Technology Platforms

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) hosted the Third Virtual Knowledge Exchange Meeting for intellectual property (IP) offices of MERCOSUR countries and Chile on 11 November 2024, organised in the framework of the EU-funded IP cooperation project AL-INVEST Verde IPR.

During the virtual meeting, the EUIPO gathered participants from IP offices across MERCOSUR, Chile, and other Latin American countries, along with representatives from the European Patent Office (EPO), to exchange experiences on green technology platforms and strategies to promote sustainable innovation.

Throughout the session, EPO experts presented the functionalities and benefits of various platforms geared towards sustainable technologies, specifically targeting clean energy, firefighting and innovation in water technologies. They provided an in-depth examination of these platforms, explaining how they streamline patent searches and enhance access to data on groundbreaking environmental technologies.

In the additional sessions, regional initiatives from the IP offices of the Latin-American region were highlighted, such as platforms dedicated to green hydrogen and lithium innovation—two resources crucial for energy sustainability in Latin America. Participants explored the advantages that these platforms offer to patent examiners, enabling faster access to technological information and insights into global innovation trends in sustainability sectors.

The event concluded with insights on the challenges and successes IP offices face when implementing these platforms, particularly in the Latin American context, and reflecting on the progress achieved, underlining the importance of continued collaboration across regions. Participants lauded the exchange as a valuable forum for fostering IP innovation and looked forward to future sessions dedicated to supporting sustainable development through intellectual property initiatives.

The EUIPO leads EU international IP cooperation activities and mobilises expertise in all areas of IP, including patents, through its international network of partner IP institutions. The EUIPO actively contributes to sustainable development by ensuring that the EU IP system supports innovation related to the green transition, by fostering green best practices, and by identifying and spearheading IP related aspects of green initiatives to tackle climate change and sustainability.