(L-R) Steve Fritz; Christian Tock; Carole Brückler, Ministry of the Economy; Antonio Campinos, European Patent Office; Iris Depoulain, Ministry of the Economy; Mario Grotz, Luxinnovation; Daniela Cattolico, Luxinnovation; Gilles Requena, European Patent; Credit: MECO

On Wednesday 15 July 2026, the President of the European Patent Office (EPO), Antonio Campinos, paid a working visit to Luxembourg at the invitation of Luxembourg’s Ministry of the Economy's Intellectual Property Office (IPO).

During the visit, Antonio Campinos met Luxembourg's Minister of the Economy, SMEs, Energy and Tourism, Lex Delles, along with representatives of the IPO.

According to Luxembourg’s Ministry of the Economy, the discussions focused on the EPO's role in supporting innovation across Europe, the opportunities created by the Unitary Patent and the importance of intellectual property in strengthening the competitiveness of businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

During the meeting, Lex Delles stated: "Intellectual property is an essential lever for supporting and protecting innovation and strengthening the competitiveness of our economy. Through tools such as the Unitary Patent and our cooperation with the European Patent Office, we want to provide Luxembourg businesses, particularly SMEs, with an administrative, legal and economic environment that enables them to protect their innovations more easily and strengthen their competitiveness across Europe."

The visit continued in Belval, where meetings were held with stakeholders from Luxembourg's national innovation ecosystem, including Luxinnovation, Technoport and the University of Luxembourg (Uni.lu). Discussions highlighted opportunities for cooperation in areas such as deep tech, artificial intelligence (AI) and the commercialisation of research, stated the ministry.

The ministry also highlighted ongoing reforms to Luxembourg's intellectual property system. Following approval by the Government Council on 26 June 2026, a new public administration, the Luxembourg Office for Intellectual Property, will be established under the supervision of the ministry. It will be created through the merger of the current Intellectual Property Office and the Luxembourg Intellectual Property Institute (IPIL), with the aim of simplifying the national intellectual property framework, centralising expertise and providing stronger support for businesses and innovative sectors.