The SPTO Reinforces Its Commitment to the European Industrial Property Ecosystem with a Visit to the EUIPO Elisa Rodríguez, Director of the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO), along with Pablo Garde, Undersecretary of Industry and Tourism and President of the SPTO, visited the headquarters of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in Alicante with the aim of strengthening collaboration between the two institutions. The EUIPO is a European Union agency responsible for managing trademarks and designs at the European level, as well as geographical indications for artisanal and industrial products. It also plays a key role in international cooperation on industrial property matters and hosts the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights, contributing to the protection of innovation and creativity in Europe. During the visit, representatives from the SPTO were received by João Negrão, Executive Director of the EUIPO, along with members of his management team. The meeting served to further consolidate a strategic relationship that ensures a robust industrial property system promoting innovation, legal certainty, and economic growth. Against a backdrop of technological and global transformations, both institutions have addressed the need for an effective framework to protect intangible assets, as well as the legislative proposals currently being drafted in this area. In addition, the Spanish delegation was able to gain firsthand insight into the EUIPO’s Strategic Plan 2030 and its analysis of global trends in trademarks and designs. During the meeting, the main conclusions of the report “IP-backed finance in Europe: state of play and future perspectives” were also presented. The report highlights that, despite its high level of talent and scientific capacity, Europe faces a growing productivity gap compared to other major economies such as the United States and China. Cooperation between the EUIPO, the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, and the SPTO is carried out annually through an agreement aimed at strengthening the convergence of practices, improving legal certainty for users, and promoting digitization and technological modernization projects, as well as the exchange of information and best practices. The visit concluded with a tour of the EUIPO’s facilities and a meeting with Spanish professionals from the organization.
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