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Impact licensing is emerging as a strategic instrument designed to optimise the valorisation potential of technologies and data, while simultaneously preserving their economic value. The new Impact Licensing Initiative (ILI) project is dedicated to leveraging technology and data to address global challenges. Through innovative solutions and strategic partnerships, the research team sets out to create a more sustainable and equitable future for all. By introducing impact licensing, ILI seeks to pave the way for a more resilient, innovative, and socially responsible Europe.

The European IP Helpdesk is collaborating with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Digital for the training course "SPIN: Explore". It aims to inspire and empower researchers and scientists by equipping them with foundational business skills and stimulating their interest in the journey from lab to market. After the course, the participants will be able to understand the importance of entrepreneurship and explore how the pathway from invention to market application can unlock opportunities to increase research impact. The deadline for applications is 18 October 2024.

A Community Plant Variety Right (CPVR) is an intellectual property right that grants an exclusive right in relation to a plant variety, provided that the latter complies with the legal requirements for protection. The European IP Helpdesk team published an updated version of an IP Chart that answers the most important questions related to CPVRs, such as fees, availability of a variety denomination, etc.

An intellectual property (IP) assignment is the transfer of ownership of an IP right, such as a patent, trademark, or copyright, from one party (the assignor) to another party (the assignee). Our handy infographic, which outlines the benefits, risks, and key elements of assignment agreements, is now available in Bulgarian.

On 10 October, the Council of the European Union adopted legislative acts under the design package: the revised directive on the legal protection of designs and the amended regulation on community designs. The adopted texts update the current design legislation to improve the protection of industrial designs in the era of digital designs and 3D printing.

On 9 October 2024, the Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO Working Party on Guidelines (SACEPO WP/G) took place. SACEPO WP/G members were invited to review the draft Guidelines on ​EPC, PCT-EPO and the Unitary Patent during the summer and share their input. Overall, the feedback on the drafts was positive and continues to play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of the Guidelines. A key focus of the meeting was the discussion on the Unitary Patent Guidelines, which will be published in April 2025.

RadMarkt | 14/10/2024 | Germany - The insolvency comes as a surprise, at least to outsiders. With their innovative LEV vehicles - a hybrid between an electric two-wheeler and a car - the Berlin-based company was considered a "last mile" vehicle that had a golden future, especially in the urban logistics sector. In addition to existing investors, newcomers to the growth capital round at the time included the Mexican venture capital company Proeza Ventures, which focuses on mobility, the "impact"-oriented Göttingen investment company Zu na mi GmbH and the European Innovation Council (EIC).

Wired | 14/10/2024 | Spain - Tucuvi is a healthtech company offering a voice-based conversational AI and “virtual nurse” called Lola. The service monitors patients after they leave hospital to reduce readmissions. Lola leads patients through a structured conversation and sends the results to the patient’s medical team for review. Co-founded by María González Manso and Marcos Rubio in 2019, the company obtained €5.5 million ($6.1 million) in funding from the European Innovation Council.

NewsRX | 11/10/2024 | Germany - Investigators publish new report on Chemicals and Chemistry. According to news originating from Bochum, Germany, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, "Scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) has been used to explore structure-electrocatalytic activity relationships through high-resolution mapping of local activities of electrocatalysts. However, utilizing SECCM in strongly alkaline conditions presents a significant challenge due to the high wettability of the alkaline electrolyte leading to a substantial instability of the droplet in contact with the sample surface, and hence to unpredictable wetting and spreading of the electrolyte."

MarketLine | 11/10/2024 | France - Aenitis Technologies, a pioneer in acoustic-based cell manipulation, has successfully closed its equity financing with the European Innovation Council Fund advised by the European Investment Bank, Quadrivium I fund managed by Seventure Partners, Mifani Invest, Stamos, Weaving Invest, a few business angels and the company founders, marking a significant milestone in the deeptech sector. The funding, secured in a two-stage round, will drive the company's innovative acoustofluidic technology towards commercial launch and global expansion.

The Latin America IP SME Helpdesk team is excited to announce a series of upcoming online and onsite training sessions, which will cover important intellectual property (IP) topics for European small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs interested in expanding their businesses to Latin America.

Research Professional | 10/10/2024 | Europe - The latest call from the European Innovation Council’s Transition instrument received a record number of applications. Transition funding helps to mature technologies and business applications arising from EU research grants, in particular those from the European Research Council. Applicants to the EIC call submitted 413 proposals, which the EIC said was the “highest ever”, although the scheme has only been running since 2021. The agency said that applicants will be informed about the evaluation of their proposals within nine weeks and that interviews will be scheduled for December.

Research Professional | 10/10/2024 | Europe - Despite a €2.1bn cut to Horizon Europe’s budget already having been agreed earlier this year, the Council of the EU member state governments is now looking to cut €400 million from the €12.7bn 2025 budget proposed by the European Commission. However, in her mission letters to the proposed new commissioners last month, Commission president Ursula von der Leyen tasked startups, research and innovation commissioner-designate Ekaterina Zaharieva with expanding the ERC and the European Innovation Council.

Research Professional | 10/10/2024 | Europe - As rumours swirled, the European Research Council’s president, Maria Leptin, told RPN she was worried that radical change would affect the autonomy of the ERC. Meanwhile, MEP Christian Ehler stressed that funding might “become more politicised”. “Of course we want to have a very strong and even strengthened ERC, we want to have a more independent Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, a more independent European Innovation Council.”

MT Sprout | 10/10/2024 | Netherlands - EIC signs partial contract for 50-100 million factory "It helps that an important first party has already signed for part of the 50 to 100 million euros that the factory will cost: the Brussels deeptech investor European Innovation Council. It is providing a mix of subsidy and capital."

Science|Business | 10/10/2024 | Europe - The European Commission is making moves to bundle all research and innovation funds, including the European Research Council (ERC) and the European Innovation Council (EIC), into a new mega competitiveness fund that would be launched under the new multiannual budget due to start in 2028. A presentation by the Commission’s budget directorate reveals a scenario where about a dozen research and innovation programmes would be amalgamated into the European Competitiveness Fund, in an attempt to concentrate and streamline EU efforts to resuscitate innovation, productivity and economic growth.

Neth ER | 10/10/2024 | Europe - Pillar 3 in Horizon Europe (Innovative Europe ) focuses on improving innovation performance, fostering innovation transfer and scaling up innovations in Europe. The aim is to stimulate and support the creation and diffusion of breakthrough innovations, and to position Europe as a global leader in transferring scientific knowledge to innovative companies. The independent study will support the programme’s mid-term evaluation, expected in 2025. The report covers the promotion of the European Innovation Council (EIC), EIE and EIT. An earlier independent study also evaluated the EIT .

University World News | 10/10/2024 | Europe - The latest salvo came on 7 October 2024 when members of the European Parliament’s budget committee rejected proposals to slash €1.52 billion (US$1.6 billion) from flagship projects, including the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and the Erasmus+ student mobility initiative. The proposed cuts were tabled by the European Council, which represents the national governments of the 27 EU member states, in response to a draft budget for 2025 tabled by the EU’s executive arm – the European Commission.

The dynamic and complex challenges of today have led to the evolution of innovation as a collaborative endeavour. The Open Innovation model, where companies engage in cross-boundary collaboration to leverage external knowledge and ideas, has transformed the conventional ways of developing and launching new technologies, products, and services. It has been widely discussed how businesses and their research and development (R&D) departments need to shift from traditional, closed innovation practices to finding new avenues for creating innovative solutions, ever since Henry Chesbrough's groundbreaking book “Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology” published in 2003. As companies increasingly collaborate with external partners—ranging from start-ups and academic institutions to even competitors—they open up new pathways for innovation, efficiency, and competitiveness. However, with this collaborative approach comes a critical challenge: managing intellectual property (IP).  In this new edition of our Bulletin, we examine the evolution of Open Innovation approaches and practices over the years, and we take a closer look at the complex relationship between Open Innovation and IP management. The issue features various voices and viewpoints from the experts who offer reflections and comments on specific aspects on Open Innovation. If you want to have a look at the previous issues of our “Bulletin”, you can peruse them in our extensive online library on the European IP Helpdesk website. We wish you an insightful read!

Start-Up | 09/10/2024 | Romania - Last week, Entrepreneur's Day took place, on which the Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MEAT), Ștefan-Radu Oprea, awarded a series of awards to Romanian entrepreneurs with success stories in the area of ​​innovation. Who are the Romanian entrepreneurs awarded at the event organized by MEAT. DotLumen's innovation has been recognized globally, winning numerous awards, including the Red Dot Luminary Award, and they were selected under the European Commission's EIC Accelerator program, which funded the solution with 9.7 million euros