On 16 October 2026, European Patent Office (EPO) President António Campinos took part in the Portuguese Institute of Industrial Property’s (INPI) 50^th anniversary celebrations.

Entitled “Half a Century of History. Thinking about the Future”, the conference brought together senior representatives from intellectual property offices and international organisations, alongside experts from the public and private sectors, to reflect on INPI’s legacy and the future role of intellectual property in innovation and economic growth.

Celebrating partnership and looking to the future

Justice Minister Rita Alarcão Júdice and President Campinos delivered keynote addresses alongside WIPO Director General Daren Tang, EUIPO Executive Director João Negrão and INPI President Ana Bandeira. In his remarks, President Campinos highlighted INPI’s transformation over five decades into a modern, digital and internationally connected intellectual property office.

Digitalisation, legal modernisation and quality have long guided INPI’s work and are also central to the EPO’s priorities. Building on these shared priorities, the co-operation between the EPO and INPI has delivered tangible benefits for users, from high-quality search services to modern digital filing solutions such as Front Office, which help make the patent system more accessible. Portuguese proprietors are also among the leading adopters of the Unitary Patent, with an uptake rate of over 80%, almost double the European Union average. Beyond its participation in the Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court (UPC), Portugal hosts one of two seats of the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC) in Lisbon, the other being in Ljubljana.

Looking ahead, President Campinos noted that the next challenge is to transform patent information into strategic knowledge, connecting innovation with investment and helping promising technologies reach the market. Co-operation will be essential to meet these challenges, strengthening European competitiveness and shaping the patent system of the future. In this spirit, the EPO looks forward to the next chapter of its partnership with INPI.

Source：European Patent Office (EPO) News；2026-10-16；https://www.epo.org/en/news-events/news/epo-marks-inpi-portugals-50th-anniversary