8 May 2023
From 3 to 5 May, EPO President António Campinos visited
Morocco to hold discussions with the Minister of Industry and Commerce Mr Ryad
Mezzour, and the Head of the Moroccan Office for Industrial and Commercial
Property (OMPIC), Mr Abdelaziz Babqiqi.
Discussions in the meeting with Mr Abdelaziz Babqiqi focused
on sustainable development, innovation for the environment, and the future of
EPO-OMPIC co-operation. This co-operation includes training for OMPIC
examiners, coaching – such as in the field of 3D printing – and work on patent
data exchange. The Office is also supporting OMPIC’s digitisation efforts by
funding a new publication server, optimising interoperability between OMPIC and
the EPO.
The co-operation has strengthened since 17 December 2010,
when Morocco became the first country to sign a validation agreement with the
EPO, which came into effect on 1 March 2015. The agreement has demonstrated
Morocco’s importance as a marketplace, with over 2,400 applicants choosing
Morocco for validation in 2022. The visit was an opportunity for President Campinos
to express the EPO’s commitment to fostering co-operation between the two
organisations now and into the future.
Minister Mezzour highlighted Morocco’s focus on developing
talent and strengthening the innovation and patent ecosystem. The EPO President
and Minister Mezzour discussed the platform „IP marketplace“ that was
launched on 29 March 2023, which aims to match technological demand and supply
relating to patents. Minister Mezzour explained that the platform is expected
to facilitate research-industry partnerships and boost collaborative
innovation, focusing on free-to-use patents. During discussions, the EPO
President also proposed a study and platform with customised technological
search queries in the field of water desalinisation. Carried out with the
support of the Office in co-operation with OMPIC, this would help to reinforce
Morocco’s main assets in the field of water treatment, wind and solar power,
President António Campinos also visited in Ben Guérir technical
platforms of Mohammed VI University and
MAScIR (Moroccan foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research).
Both institutions are involved in the Knowledge Transfer to Africa project
(KT2A), initiated by the EPO with the European PATLIBs.
During the visit, the EPO President reiterated the strong
desire for continued co-operation between both Offices.
The Office remains steadfast in its commitment to
Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) sustainability while
endeavouring to minimise its ecological footprint. By reinforcing its ties with
Morocco, the Office aims to contribute to the nation’s innovation and
sustainable development pursuits.