EUIPO Welcomes KIPO Commissioner Wan Ki Kim in Alicante
On 3 March 2025, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) Executive Director, João Negrão, welcomed the Commissioner of the Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), Wan Ki Kim, for his first visit to the Office's headquarters in Alicante. The visit focused on how the EUIPO and the KIPO could work together to reinforce the collaboration between the two like-minded offices and exploring ways to advancing the global IP system.
The visit provided an excellent opportunity to review our ongoing bilateral cooperation, the implementation of the EU-Republic of Korea IP Action Plan, and cooperation within the TM5 and ID5 forums, as well as to explore future areas for collaboration in line with EUIPO's new strategic cycle (SP2030). One key topic was IP-backed financing and the importance of fostering an environment that supports small and medium-sized enterprises in leveraging their intellectual property for growth. Discussions also focused on innovation and the impact of AI on core business processes and corporate services.
AI is at the core of the EUIPO's strategic vision, as demonstrated by the establishment of an AI steering group comprising senior management and the provision of several AI-driven tools (e.g. TMview) to support both staff and users. The Office is cooperating with many other organisations, including national and regional IP Offices, EU institutions, and other strategic stakeholders, to share knowledge, exchange expertise, avoid duplication, and support the drive to innovation with AI solutions that are designed to be flexible, adaptable, and easy to share. EUIPO is dedicated to a human-centric approach in AI, ensuring explicability, transparency, and accountability, with staff ultimately responsible for decisions.
Background
South Korea is also a global leader in innovation. EUIPO and KIPO were ranked first and second most innovative IP Offices in the world respectively.
Under the longstanding EUIPO and KIPO cooperation, the offices have collaborated in various areas to promote their IP systems mutually. A special guide for Korean SMEs on the EU market and another for EU SMEs on the Korean market were created, along with a course on Korean trade mark system published on the EUIPO learning portal.