Talk innovation: unlocking technology

Almost 8% of patent filings at the EPO in 2023 were for computer technology, which includes the rapidly growing field of artificial intelligence. But which types of AI are growing especially fast and why? What do experts mean when they say that 2024 is the year of the embodiment of AI? And could the next superantibiotic be designed by AI?   Moderator:  Jeremy Philpott, EPO Communications manager    Guests:   Wiebke Hinrichs, EPO patent examiner  André Fonseca dos Santos, EPO patent examiner  EPO's Patent Index

Female inventors have shaped the world in more ways than we might realise.     Join three women working in patents and STEM as they celebrate inspiring female inventors and discuss their experiences in their fields. Hear their advice for anyone interested in a technical career and discover why diversity is the key to unlocking powerful innovation.     Guests:   Joana Piriquito Santos, Attorney-at-law  Maryse Stoufs, EPO internal auditor    Moderator:  Cristina Lopes Margarido, EPO patent examiner 

Is offshore wind energy the key to solving the climate crisis? A recent joint report reveals insightful findings, highlighting challenges and opportunities in this growing sector. Join study authors from the European Patent Office and International Renewable Energy Agency as they discuss this clean energy source.   Full report Guests:  Francisco Boshell, Head Innovation and End Use Applications, IRENA  Jaidev Dhavle, Associate Programme Officer, Innovation for the Energy Transition, IRENA  Johannes Schaaf, EPO patent intelligence expert  Moderator:  Geert Boedt, EPO patent data analyst

When dealing with disability, is gene therapy an ethical solution? Can technology encourage a more equitable world? Does society truly listen to people with a disability? In this special edition, we’ll meet several authors seeking answers to these complex questions. We’ll hear their creations before learning about the inspiration behind each tale. "Who am I?" by Brian Routledge, "L’ Expo" by Christophe Poizat and "Mosaïque" by Paule Gilis were the winning entries in EPO’s writing competition on the theme disability and innovation. The contest was open to all staff and formed part of our celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the European Patent Convention. Brian’s story also won the 2023 essay competition organised by the Brain journal and is published there (link below).    "Who am I" by Brian Routledge on epo.org "Who am I" by Brian Routledge in the "Brain" Journal "The exhibition" by Christophe Poizat on epo.org "Mosaic" by Paule Gilis on epo.org

Are you a new IT or computer science graduate looking to make a difference? Are you ready to kickstart your career in an international environment?     Hear from Young Professional Metehan about his active role in EPO initiatives such as data protection in IT. Learn more about the networking and development opportunities he's enjoyed, how he's contributing to innovation and how the programme has fostered his personal and professional growth.     Applications for 2024 are now open, for more information please visit: epo.org/pan-european-seal Moderators:  Persida Jovanovic, Young Professional in Talent Acquisition Penelope Piraino, Young Professional in Talent Acquisition Guest: Metehan Malakçi, Young Professional in IT Sourcing, Risk and Compliance Loved this episode? Dive into Part I now!

Graduating in STEM and looking for your next career step? Looking to expand your international network? Now's your chance to learn all you need to know about the Young Professionals Programme, first hand, from current participants. Learn why Larisa applied to the programme, the benefits she's enjoyed most and how this hands-on experience with innovation has helped put her on the right career path. Applications for 2024 are now open, for more information please visit: epo.org/pan-european-seal Moderators:  Persida Jovanovic, Young Professional in Talent Acquisition  Penelope Piraino, Young Professional in Talent Aquisition Guest:   Larisa Turtureanu, Young Professional in Patent granting process Loved this episode? ⁠Dive into Part II now!⁠

The EPO's latest study reveals massive global advances in diagnostics and treatments, with universities and public research institutes playing a major role. Innovation against cancer is growing rapidly and the wealth of free patent information in the EPO's newest technology platform is helping scientists to make more breakthroughs.   Read the full study Read the key findings Access the Technologies combatting cancer platform   Guests:  Laurent Deleu, Patent examiner, European Patent Office   IIlja Rudyk, Senior economist, European Patent Office      Moderator:  Jeremy Philpott, Communications manager, European Patent Office 

Peek behind the curtain and learn about what goes into successfully bringing sustainable innovations to market. EPO patent examiner Edward Cooke speaks with bioscience engineering professor Johan Martens about the solar panel he co-invented which produces clean hydrogen from sunlight and moisture. Their conversation covers topics such as hydrogen energy, the UN's sustainable development goals and how Johan's invention is designed for varied climatic conditions.  More about Johan Martens

Technology can kick green mobility into higher gear but you, as an individual, can also make a move! Learn what it takes and get on board with Ben Brown and Ciara Doyle from Going Green Media and EPO patent examiner Haider Al-Taie. Along the way you will learn about the latest trends in transportation, the challenges in the road ahead and about the important impact you can make with sustainable commuting. Let's drive into a greener future together!

Join us on an interstellar adventure to explore the out-of-this-world technology that makes space exploration possible. You probably even use space technology here on Earth without even realising it! Inventor and YouTuber Simone Giertz and former patent examiner Rainer Kaysan will guide you through these fascinating inventions, careers in space and the key role aerospace innovation plays for a greener planet. Buckle up and get ready to blast off in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Interested to hear more? Here's a link to an earlier episode on technologies used in space: "Earth observation for a greener planet"

Device on. Headphones on. Press play. Game on! But… what goes into a video game? What drives innovation in hardware, software and graphics? Could you become a video game developer and maybe even change the world for the better? Join a tech expert and patent examiner for a unique look at the technology behind your favourite titles. You’ll never look at games the same again! Speakers: Patrick Mikulastik and Anne-Marie Imafidon Music by: YipYep

How are European startups using patents and trade marks to raise finance? The high failure rates of promising startups are often linked to their cashflow problems, so this a topic of critical importance for Europe’s economy. The authors of a recent study discuss their findings with regard to patents, trade marks and startup finance. Guests:           Yann Ménière, Chief Economist, European Patent Office Nathan Wajsman, Chief Economist, EU Intellectual Property Office Moderator:  Jeremy Philpott, manager in Communications, European Patent Office Access our study

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a disruptive technology coming of age. The EPO’s latest study reveals explosion in global patenting activity in 3D printing and other forms of AM, now being deployed in construction, healthcare and transport. Patent filings for AM inventions are increasing at eight times the rate across all technologies, as AM comes out of its niche as a prototyping tool and enters the mainstream at the centre of manufacturing. Moderator: Jeremy Philpott (Communications manager, EPO) Guests: Ilja Rudyk (Senior Economist, EPO) and Judy Ceulemans (Senior Expert, EPO) Download the study More about additive manufacturing on our website

Elena García Armada invented a robotic exoskeleton for children who use wheelchairs, vastly improving their rehabilitation. However, going from lab to market was no mean feat. The Spanish robotics expert had to navigate clinical testing, impress investors, learn about intellectual property and attract world-class engineers to work on her ambitious project. But seeing smiles on the faces of young patients who walk for the very first time have made the journey worthwhile. This episode is part of the Inspiring Inventors series, which looks at ground-breaking technologies and the people behind them.  Moderator: Edward Cooke, Patent examiner, European Patent Office  Guest: Elena García Armada, Co-founder and CEO, Marsi Bionics  More about Elena García Armada: https://new.epo.org/en/news-events/european-inventor-award/meet-the-finalists/elena-garcia-armada

A simple cheek swab could begin a new lease on life for patients with leukaemia. Stem cell typing is the first step in matching patients with donors. Join us to learn about typing from donors, people who've conquered a blood cancer, a biotechnology expert and a PR manager at an NGO that recruits donors and supports patients. We'll also provide details on an up-coming stem cell typing drive in Munich and The Hague, one of the ways we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the European Patent Convention this year. Moderator: Sabine Lunau, EPO Communications manager Guests: Aliki Nichogiannopolou, EPO Director: DNA, peptide and cell biotechnology Andreas Böhm-Pélissier, member of an EPO Boards of Appeal Jennifer Andersen, DKMS, Public relations manager

Two scientists-turned-entrepreneurs have created the technology platform S-TIR for immunology vaccines, enabling treatments for allergies and cancer. Based on their strong patent portfolio they founded several start-up companies for product development and technology commercialisation. In this podcast they explain how IP was essential for attracting investment as well as generating licensing revenue early on. This was crucial given the long time-to-market periods that are typical in biotechnology. The EPO has recently published three new case studies highlighting the role of IP in creating businesses that are bringing technologies to market to diagnose and/or treat cancer. Download the case studies: https://www.epo.org/learning/materials/sme/innovation-case-studies/technology-transfer-case-studies.html

The latest Patent Index shows that clean energy technologies are driving a surge in patent applications. New filings in the field of electrical machinery, apparatus and energy grew by 18.2% in 2022, and battery technologies (which is a sub-field herein) grew by 48%. Our experts discuss the leading countries in this exciting field and give insights into what is driving the innovations in clean energies, including hydrogen, batteries, wind, solar and geothermal energy. Moderator: Jeremy Philpott, Communications Manager, EPO Guests: Yann Ménière, Chief Economist, EPO, and Victor Veefkind, patent examiner, EPO See epo.org/patent-index2022

The latest Patent Index shows that the top three fields of technology – digital communication, medical technology and computer technology – alone comprised nearly a quarter of all filings to the EPO in 2022. These areas are converging to create a revolution in smart healthcare, with devices monitoring, diagnosing and even treating us without a doctor’s opinion or a stay in hospital. The experts discuss the leading applicants in this exciting field and give insights into what is driving the innovations in smart health. Moderator: Jeremy Philpott, Communications Manager, EPO Guests: Carlos Rivera Pons, Team Manager EPO, and Riccardo Carta, patent examiner, EPO  See epo.org/patent-index2022

Sensor tech supports sustainability by delivering crucial climate data. We explore the satellite-based sensors that forecast weather, detect pollution, protect biodiversity and monitor the environment. Experts from the European Patent Office, the European Space Policy Institute and the European Space Agency dive into their recent joint study, which shows a meteoric rise of patent applications in space-borne sensing. Could innovation in space be key for a greener planet? Moderated by Tomas Hrozensky from the European Space Policy Institute with the participation of Johannes Schaaf from the European Patent Office and  Stephan Speidel from HE Space Operations working closely with the European Space Agency. See the Patent Insights report on “Space-borne sensing and green applications”  Patent documents quoted by Johannes for illustrative purposes: EP3469516B1  EP3655743B1 EP2193449B1

Innovation in hydrogen is booming, not just in production, but also in storage and applications. Current hydrogen production relies heavily on fossil fuels, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Electricity from renewable sources (wind, solar etc.), using new electrolyser technologies, herald a new era for this clean energy source. But which countries and sectors are in the lead, and what are the challenges to the hydrogen revolution? Moderator: Jeremy Philpott, Communications Manager, EPO Guests: Simon Bennett, Technology Analyst at IEA, and Yann Ménière, EPO Chief Economist See epo.org/trends-hydrogen