The cooperation agreement between Montenegro and the European Patent Office for the period until 2028, which was signed today, is aimed at strengthening the Montenegrin patent system.
The Ministry of Economic Development announced that key areas of cooperation include support in the development of digital tools and infrastructure, as well as the exchange of expertise in patent search procedures.
In addition, the development of the IT sector and cooperation in the field of information security remain a priority.
The bilateral agreement was signed at a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy and Minister of Economic Development Niko Đeljošaj, State Secretary at the Ministry Ana Raičević, and Director General of the Directorate for Internal Market and Competition Jasna Vujović, with the President of the European Patent Office, Antonio Kampinos.
Campinos is on his first official visit to Montenegro since its accession to the European Patent Organization on October 1, 2022.
"Raising awareness of the importance of patent protection is key to fostering innovation and advancing our economy. We are grateful to the EPO for its continued support and look forward to the benefits that the new agreement will bring to our innovators and inventors," Đeljošaj stated at the meeting.
Đeljošaj supported the idea of establishing a patent information center (patlib) in Montenegro and expressed his commitment to further improving the patent protection system.
Kampinos praised Montenegro for its seamless integration into the European Patent Organization and progress towards EU accession, particularly the successful closure of the intellectual property chapter in the negotiations.
He also highlighted Montenegro's significant step towards ratifying the London Agreement and finalizing the Agreement on Cooperation in Searches with the EPO.
The Ministry announced that the discussions also discussed the possibilities of how Montenegrin small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as start-ups, can use patent protection to expand in the European market and attract investments. The EPO presented its Deep Tech Finder platform, based on data, which connects start-ups ready for investment with potential investors, and highlighted the advantages of the unitary patent system that Montenegro could benefit from after future accession to the EU.
"The visit confirmed the EPO's commitment to supporting innovation and business development in Montenegro, with a focus on reducing administrative barriers, improving the legal framework and improving access to financing for companies that own intellectual property," the statement concluded.
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