At the end of 2024, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) presented its ambitious Strategic Plan SP2030. This constitutes a roadmap that will set the institution’s course for the next 5 years. This plan, which came into force on January 1, 2025, aims to transform how the EUIPO relates to intellectual property (IP) at the European level. To do this, it seeks to align its activities with the challenges of an increasingly digitalized, innovative, and sustainability-oriented world. Throughout this post, we will outline the main challenges and objectives that will guide the Strategic Plan SP2030. Likewise, we will explain the key actions that the EUIPO will implement to guarantee an effective, inclusive, and resilient IP system.
What is Strategic Plan SP2030?
Specifically, the Strategic Plan SP2030 is the strategic framework that will guide the EUIPO’s activities between 2025 and 2030. This plan has been conceived as a response to the rapid transformations that the intellectual property landscape is experiencing, especially by being immersed in a context of increasing digitalization and technological innovation. The EUIPO, as the agency responsible for administering the intellectual property system at the European level, has the mission to adapt to these new times. And the best way to do so is by offering increasingly agile and effective services that respond to the changing needs of citizens and businesses.
By the way, the plan was approved after a public consultation that involved more than 2,000 participants, including EUIPO employees, citizens, public institutions, and various entities from the intellectual property sector. This participatory process was key to defining the institution’s priorities and ensuring that its vision is aligned with the expectations of all involved stakeholders.
The central objective of the Strategic Plan SP2030 is to strengthen the intellectual property ecosystem in Europe, ensuring that it is robust, inclusive, and sustainable.
The Strategic Objectives of Plan SP2030
Indeed, the Strategic Plan SP2030 is structured around several key objectives, designed to improve the operational efficiency of the EUIPO. This includes optimizing how the institution interacts with its users and other stakeholders. These objectives aim at the internal improvement of the organization and the strengthening of external cooperation, establishing a more solid network among the different intellectual property offices in Europe:
Optimization of operational efficiency
In effect, one of the main challenges of the Strategic Plan SP2030 is to improve the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the EUIPO. This involves improving internal processes and incorporating new technologies, as well as achieving more efficient resource management. With greater efficiency, the EUIPO will be able to offer high-quality intellectual property services, with more agile response times and more cost-effective use of available funds.
Enhance the value of intellectual property products and services
Likewise, the Strategic Plan also establishes as a priority the increase in the value of the products and services offered by the EUIPO. This will translate into an expansion of its range of services, adapted to the emerging needs of users, such as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are essential for the European economy. The idea is for the EUIPO to evolve to offer more comprehensive, relevant, and accessible solutions in an increasingly competitive global environment.
Promote access to the intellectual property system
Certainly, access to and understanding of the intellectual property system are critical to maximizing its impact on the economy. In this regard, the Strategic Plan SP2030 aims to facilitate access to intellectual property information and promote its strategic use, especially among SMEs. The plan also focuses on raising awareness about the importance of protecting intellectual property rights. In this way, it contributes to a greater culture of respect for innovation and creativity.
Fight against rights infringement and foster trust
Another major challenge of the Strategic Plan SP2030 is to strengthen confidence in the intellectual property system. Accordingly, it will promote actions that actively combat rights infringements and support a culture of respect for intellectual property rights. Undoubtedly, the infringement of industrial property and intellectual property remains a considerable challenge. For this reason, the EUIPO will redouble efforts to create an environment in which both creators and users of intellectual property can feel secure and supported by a robust and reliable system.
Ensure the long-term sustainability of the EUIPO
Finally, the Strategic Plan SP2030 also aims to ensure the sustainability of the EUIPO, not only in financial terms but also operationally. To achieve this, the EUIPO will seek to strengthen cooperation with the national intellectual property offices of the Member States. In parallel, it will promote the harmonization of regulations and ensure that the intellectual property system is stable and efficient in the long term.
Areas of impact and challenges of Strategic Plan SP2030 EUIPO
In addition to defining a set of strategic objectives, the EUIPO’s Strategic Plan SP2030 establishes priority impact areas that are essential to ensuring the success of the initiative. However, to achieve these ambitious objectives, the EUIPO will have to face various challenges that involve not only technological adaptation, but also raising awareness among various social groups and creating new alliances to strengthen the IP system in Europe:
Improve user experience, first challenge of Strategic Plan SP2030
Precisely, the first major challenge of the Strategic Plan SP2030 is to improve the customer experience. This requires offering more innovative, agile, and accessible IP products and services for all users, from large companies to entrepreneurs and SMEs. To this end, the EUIPO will opt for artificial intelligence (AI), which will play a key role in improving the predictability and consistency of processes, particularly those related to dispute resolution and the protection of intellectual property rights. Furthermore, the EUIPO plans to expand its alternative dispute resolution methods, thus allowing users to access more efficient and less costly mechanisms for resolving intellectual property disputes.
Boost IP understanding through awareness and education
One of the fundamental pillars of the Strategic Plan SP2030 is awareness and education about intellectual property. The EUIPO is committed to the task of increasing the understanding of IP rights in Europe.
To this end, the EUIPO will launch various educational initiatives, promoting the use of designs and fostering the protection of geographical indications. In addition, specific efforts will be dedicated to supporting SMEs in their understanding of how intellectual property can be a valuable asset for their growth.
Promotion of innovation: increasing the value of IP and making it accessible
To foster innovation in Europe, the Strategic Plan SP2030 proposes making the intellectual property system more accessible to innovators and creators. This effort is aimed at supporting both large companies and entrepreneurs and SMEs who may not have sufficient resources to protect their innovations efficiently.
Within this objective, the EUIPO committed to
facilitate value creation by establishing a European intellectual property platform. This platform will bring together SMEs with capital providers and provide a space for the exchange of knowledge and best practices.
Inclusive IP landscape: access and participation for all
As we said, one of the priority challenges of the Strategic Plan at hand is to ensure that the IP system is truly accessible to everyone. Along these lines, the EUIPO will work to ensure that communities and sectors that have historically been excluded or have not actively participated in the IP system can do so in the future.
Furthermore, the EUIPO will promote specific programs that favor the participation of underrepresented groups, such as young people, women, and companies from less favored regions. In this way, these groups will be able to benefit from intellectual property rights and play an active role in European economic creation and growth.
Enforce IP and fight infringements
Evidently, the enforcement of intellectual property rights remains one of the great challenges. IP infringements, such as the resale of trademarked products, counterfeiting, and piracy, continue to be a significant problem that affects rights holders and the economy as a whole. In this regard, the EUIPO will launch initiatives to strengthen law enforcement and the fight against infringements, leveraging technology to improve the effectiveness of legal actions.
Global cooperation through alliances
By the way, the Strategic Plan SP2030 also highlights the importance of international alliances in the field of intellectual property. In particular, the EUIPO will seek to transform the European Intellectual Property Network (EIPN) into a global community. In this way, it will foster cooperation between IP offices and other organizations that share the same objectives. This will allow greater harmonization of policies and services at an international level and guarantee a consistent user experience worldwide.
Through the creation of the IP Alliance, the EUIPO will promote the application of emerging technologies, the exchange of ecological best practices, and cooperation in new fields such as sustainability and environmental responsibility within the IP ecosystem.
Other implicit challenges
Apart from the previously mentioned impact areas and objectives, the Strategic Plan SP2030 must face two additional important challenges: geopolitical changes and adaptation to the changing needs of users. The EUIPO will have to navigate an increasingly complex global landscape, marked by trade tensions and growing international competition.
Strategic Plan SP2030 as the basis of EUIPO’s leadership
At ISERN Patentes y Marcas, we believe that with the Strategic Plan SP2030, the EUIPO will strengthen its position as a leader in the field of intellectual property. Thus, it will contribute significantly to economic growth and innovation throughout Europe.