EUIPO and EBAN sign agreement to support SMEs
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has signed an agreement with EBAN, the Europe leading early-stage investors network, to promote and support the IP rights of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
In a statement released yesterday, September 21, EUIPO said that this agreement will cover activities such as promoting the protection of innovation and creativity among SMEs and start-ups, training on IP, participation in IP-related events, as well as sharing content on IP and the business angel financial sector.
EBAN has more than 150-member organisations in excess of 50 countries today, comprising 260,000 angel investors, and represents a sector estimated to invest €11.4 billion ($13.4 billion) a year.
According to EUIPO, business angels are a significant driver “within the innovation process in the EU startup ecosystem”, and “IP rights have long been recognised in the success of start-ups and innovative SMEs, giving holders a competitive advantage in a global market”.
The move comes following EUIPO’s launch of its Ideas Powered for business hub in July, which provides IP information for SMEs and offers them the opportunity to sign up for free personalised legal advice concerning their IP queries.
This collaboration is set to enable EUIPO, in line with its SME Programme and Strategic plan 2025, to reach out to SMEs, in particular start-ups and entrepreneurs, to promote the importance of protecting innovation via IP rights.
According to EUIPO, the agreement will, in turn, enable business angels and startups to benefit from EUIPO’s knowledge, tools and resources on IP, which will support sound decision making among SMEs.
According to an EUIPO study released in May last year, SMEs that have applied for at least one type of IP right in Europe are 17% more likely to become high-growth firms than those that have not.
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