The European Patent Office (EPO) has signed a Letter of Intent with CNRS Innovation, the technology transfer office of France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), and Max Planck Innovation, the technology transfer organisation of the Max Planck Society in Germany. The agreement reflects a shared commitment to strengthening Europe's innovation ecosystem through improved use of data, analytical tools and expertise in intellectual asset management.

The aim is to enhance co-operation in the mapping, evaluation and commercialisation of intellectual property (IP) assets. By providing informed support for technology transfer decisions and helping researchers reach the market more effectively, the co-operation will also put into practice the conclusions of the EPO Observatory’s latest study on technology transfer offices.

The agreement strengthens collaboration with two of Europe’s leading public research organisations (PROs). In 2025, CNRS and the Max Planck Society filed 729 and 153 patent applications respectively at the EPO, many of which are in collaboration with partners across Europe’s innovation ecosystems^*. Together, they account for almost 10% of all deep tech spin-outs listed in the EPO’s Deep Tech Finder.

Leveraging EPO tools to promote innovation

Under the Letter of Intent, the partners will explore opportunities to work together in areas such as IP portfolio mapping and assessment, technology valuation and increasing the visibility of research-based innovation. The collaboration will build on several of the EPO’s tools and services, including the Data Desk, Deep Tech Finder and forthcoming Technology Evaluation Compass. These tools can help European research and technology organisations better understand, evaluate and showcase their innovation assets.

By working closely with these leading technology transfer organisations, the EPO aims to continue promoting awareness and use of its tools among the technology transfer community, gathering valuable feedback from users and contributing to the development of more effective solutions for the community of technology transfer offices across Europe.

Learn more about Europe’s technology transfer landscape

A new study released by the EPO Observatory, in collaboration with ASTP, Europe’s knowledge transfer association, and Fraunhofer ISI, provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of how well-equipped Europe is to facilitate the journey from research to market. The findings highlight both the need for continued investment in technology transfer capacity and the potential for institutions and countries to share expertise, information, tools and networks.

^* All patent applications, whether as first-named applicant or a co-applicant. These totals provide a broader view than traditional EPO statistics, which generally attribute a patent application to the first-named applicant alone. 

Source：European Patent Office (EPO) News；2026-10-26；https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/news/epo-signs-letter-intent-cnrs-innovation-and-max-planck-innovation