The recent collaboration agreement between 4iP Council and the EUIPO enables both organisations to join forces in pursuit of a common goal: to empower SMEs and promote the benefits of intellectual property (IP) protection.

4iP Council, a non-profit organisation with the aim to deliver academic insight and empirical research on topics related to IP, recognises the gap between entrepreneurship and the invention process and the decisions underpinning European policy, job creation and growth. One of 4iP Council’s principal areas of activity is to give guidance to innovators and investors to improve their understanding of intellectual property.

As part of EUIPO's Strategic Plan, the SME Programme, under the ‘Ideas Powered for business’ brand aims to support and empower SMEs on their business journey. The recently launched ‘Ideas Powered for business’ hub offers made-to-measure information for SMEs, as well as the possibility to sign up for free personalised legal advice on their intellectual property questions.

Both organisations aim to unite their efforts and create synergies in the benefit of SMEs. This agreement covers activities such as generating educational content and promoting joint webinars on intellectual property among SMEs, as well as sharing information on IP on the respective websites.