Brussels, 23 May 2003
EU Commissioner for Research Philippe Busquin underlined the importance of improving training and information exchange among scientists on intellectual property (IP) issues at the PATLIB conference on patent information on 21 May in Liège, Belgium.
In his welcoming speech, Mr Busquin said that in order to increase Europe's research and innovation base and facilitate closer relations between universities and industry, scientists have to be better informed about IP related matters.
In terms of the Commission's role in facilitating the information transfer, Mr Busquin referred to measures included in the EU's research action plan for achieving the three per cent of GDP investment in research objective, that address relations between universities and industry and intellectual property issues.
'For example, the Commission is proposing the objective that all students in science, engineering or business studies receive at least basic training on intellectual property and technology transfer,' he said.
In addition to such measures, the action plan also aims to draft European guidelines for managing and exploiting intellectual property rights in public research institutions and public-private partnerships.
Other EU initiatives such as the Community patent and Commission's communication on 'the role of the universities in the Europe of knowledge' are also expected to contribute to improving the patent system and raising awareness of IP issues.
For further information on the PATLIB conference, please consult the following web address:
http://www.european-patent-office.org/ep idos/conf/patlib2003/index.php