The OEPM and the Spanish Technology Platforms

European Technology Platforms (ETP) are tools to guaranteee the Lisbon Strategy. They bring together all the interested parties, led by industry, to define research and technological development objectives in the medium and long term. The Spanish Technology Platforms are an interesting, successful tool for strengthening and complementing the European ones, guiding efforts to achieve a more committed, better-planned and more structured scenario for innovation.

Focus on competitiveness
If Spanish and European industry are to continue being competitive, they need to specialise more in high technology, stepping up investment in research and improving coordination among the relevant agents while raising the technological content of industrial activity.

For this purpose, the OEPM policy, as part of its Strategy 2012-2014 in the field of Industrial Property for enterprises and entrepreneurs, includes improving entrepreneurial awareness of IP through the organisation of seminars to disseminate IP among SMEs, involving elements for multiplication such as the Spanish Technology Platforms.

Need for training in Industrial Property
During the months of June, July and September, working sessions were held between the Technology Platforms and the OEPM. They stressed the need to build up a culture of protected innovation in our industrial sectors to bring technological and business benefits in Spain and elsewhere. The core sessions were given by the Platforms which explained their areas of action, their activities in the framework of Industrial Property and their proposals for joint actions with the OEPM.

The proposals point to the need for training in Industrial Property for the enterprises that belong to each of the Platforms, both regular training and specialised workshops. The presence of the OEPM was requested at events, trade fairs and anywhere where it can accompany the Platforms and support their efforts to improve awareness of IP. Collaboration was also proposed for drafting new Technology Vigilance Bulletins in specific technological fields or for the inclusion in existing Bulletins of information on patents.

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