Patents as a Force for Good: How India and the EPO Are Shaping the Deep-Tech Era

Speaking to ANI in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Global Summit on Technology, R&D and Intellectual Property, Romano-Goetsch said the event focused on innovation, research and development, and the role of IP in building a strong innovation ecosystem in the deep-tech era.

"We really talked about IP as a strategic asset in the deep-tech era, including ours, and we addressed the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," Romano-Goetsch said.

The summit, themed 'From Dependence to Dominance: Research, Deep Tech and IP for Atmanirbhar Bharat,' brought together global stakeholders to examine how innovation and intellectual property can support sustainable and inclusive growth.

Focusing on the European Patent Office's contribution, Romano-Goetsch underlined the idea of innovation as a force for good.

"What we contributed on is how innovation is a force for good, for addressing humanity's greatest challenges, and how patents support innovation," she said.

She explained that the EPO actively supports innovation by sharing patent knowledge through platforms, studies and technology insights, particularly in areas that directly respond to global challenges.

"At the EPO, we are committed to supporting innovation by sharing knowledge through patent knowledge, through platforms and through studies on technologies that are really addressing essential global challenges today, like health, digital agriculture, renewable energies and water technologies," she added.

Romano-Goetsch highlighted that the EPO's role goes well beyond granting patent protection.

"The European Patent Office has the mandate to provide patent protection, and with one procedure you can protect in 39 member states and six additional states with which we have international agreements," she said.

However, she stressed that the real value of patents lies in their publication.

"The function of patents is well beyond giving geographic protection, because the element of publishing patents is actually what gives access to knowledge to the entire world," she said.

She noted that the EPO's expanded patent databases now contain 160 million documents, accessible globally "from east to west, 24/7," enabling innovators and policymakers worldwide to benefit from existing knowledge.

The EPO also promotes patent education through its digital academy.

"We promote patent knowledge through our academy, offering 135 courses, and this is fully digital," Romano-Goetsch said, adding that "in 2024, 50 per cent of women took part in courses."

Referring to India, she said the country's growing role in innovation is clearly reflected in patent trends.

"We see that the number of applications coming from India and international applications covering the European area is increasing every year," she said, noting that this reflects broader economic and innovation growth in India.

Romano-Goetsch emphasised that India and the EPO are part of the same global innovation ecosystem.

"We are part of the same ecosystem and we value the same principles--innovation as a force for good and the broader scope of patents, which goes beyond patenting and actually supports innovators and policymakers in taking next steps in innovation," she said.

Looking ahead, she pointed to further collaboration opportunities, including work under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

"We are looking into the possibility to work together, for example on the international phase, the PCT, and I'm sure there will be more and more to explore together," she said.

Highlighting global challenges, Romano-Goetsch said innovation remains central to addressing issues such as climate change, water scarcity and health.

"The challenges are the challenges humanity has--the UN SDGs, climate change, water, health--and pushing forward innovation is our main concern," she said, adding that patent offices worldwide are increasingly focused on supporting SMEs, which are becoming key drivers of innovation.

With shared values and a common passion for innovation, she said the EPO and India can jointly contribute to "a safer, smarter and more sustainable world."

- ANI