On Wednesday, 25 March, representatives of the European Patent Office (EPO)-coordinated PATLIB network from the Baltic and Nordic countries gathered at the Patent Office for a meeting to share experience and discuss how to overcome common challenges in the field of intellectual property and the commercialisation of innovation. Representatives of PATLIB centres from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland and Norway attended the meeting.
Opening the regional meeting of the PATLIB network, Agris Batalauskis, Director of the Patent Office, emphasised the importance of the meeting for cooperation between the Baltic and Nordic countries. He noted that such meetings provide a valuable opportunity to share experience, identify common challenges and seek solutions.
“Often, issues that emerge in one country soon become relevant across the entire region; however, elsewhere effective solutions to these issues may already have been found, from which others can also learn. The PATLIB network is one of the best success stories in Europe, and it is up to us how we develop this network and make it even better,” said A. Batalauskis.
The importance of PATLIB in the innovation ecosystem was also highlighted by Raquel Xalabarder, Director of the European Patent Academy, who pointed out that it is crucial for countries with similar circumstances to cooperate and share experience in order to jointly address challenges. Although the network of PATLIB centres has a long history, there is still a long way to go together when looking towards a bright future, the EPO representative noted.
Each country’s representative presented the structure of their respective PATLIB centre and its cooperation model with other institutions, implemented projects, and the support provided in the field of intellectual property and commercialisation. Participants introduced the range of services offered by their centres, training opportunities, involvement in EPO projects, and highlighted key priorities and current challenges. During the discussions, systemic shortcomings, needs, and opportunities for more effective approaches were identified.
Special attention during the meeting was devoted to discussions on best practice examples in organising the work of PATLIB centres and strengthening cooperation with innovators, as well as on broader use of the tools and opportunities offered by the EPO. One of the most significant challenges faced by PATLIB networks is attracting target audiences and tailoring information to audiences with differing levels of preparedness.
At the conclusion of the meeting, participants emphasised the need to continue such meetings in order to strengthen cooperation, promote the exchange of experience, and foster the development of PATLIB networks in the Baltic and Nordic region. Future directions for cooperation were also outlined, including the development of joint initiatives and the continuation of regular information exchange.
The task of PATLIB centres is to provide users with patent information services that are accessible and tailored to the local conditions of a specific region, and to assist in addressing other issues related to intellectual property rights, such as analysing technological developments, competitors and market trends, advising on patenting strategies, commercialisation and technology transfer.
The EPO-coordinated and supported network of PATLIB centres brings together 320 patent information centres, most of which operate within universities, patent offices, and chambers of commerce and industry. Currently, six PATLIB centres operate in Latvia: the Latvian Patent Office, the Riga Technical University Science and Innovation Centre, the Riga Stradiņš University Innovation Centre, the Latvia University of Biosciences and Technology Technology and Knowledge Transfer Centre, the Latvia Unoversity Innovation and Acceleration Centre, and the Daugavpils University Research and Business Centre “REBUS”.
