Meeting was Held Between the President of the European Patent Office, the Chairman of Sakpatenti, and the Minister of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia

The  President of the European Patent Office (EPO) Mr. António Campinos is visiting Georgia. During the visit, the EPO President is participating in the International Conference: “From Research to Impact: The Role of Patents in Technology Transfer”, which is organized by Sakpatenti and is being held at the Paragraph Freedom Square Hotel.

Before opening the Conference, Mr. António Campinos held a meeting with Mr. Soso Giorgadze, Chairman of Sakpatenti, and Mr. Givi Mikanadze, Minister of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia. At the meeting the parties discussed the importance of scientific and academic work, which is a prerequisite for the development of inventive activity and innovations.

Mr. Campinos noted that the validation mechanism for European patents was already launched in Georgia, which ensures legal recognition of European patents in Georgia. Notably, the visit of Mr. Campinos was preceded by Georgia’s submission of a Letter of Interest to the European Patent Organisation to accede to the European Patent Convention, which means the prospect of full membership for the country. It was emphasized at the meeting that accession to the Convention represents recognition of the system strengthened through recent reforms in the field of intellectual property protection. In addition, this creates an opportunity for Georgia to become even more attractive as a destination for modern technologies, innovation, and investment in this sector, which will have a significant impact on the results of scientific activity. 

The parties discussed the role of education in the intellectual property field, the existing challenges in this regard and considered the prospects of future cooperation and opportunities of strengthening relations.