Standards, Patents and Competitiveness Forum – 18 November 2026
The Standards, Patents and Competitiveness Forum will be hosted at the headquarters of the European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich, in collaboration with the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). With the support of leading standards development organisations (SDOs), the event brings together representatives of SDOs and industry, standards contributors, policymakers and patent professionals to discuss the evolving role of standards in shaping Europe’s technological future, with a focus on global trends in standardisation and patenting, standard essential patents (SEPs), transparency and dispute resolution.
Technology standards foster innovation, accelerate the journey from lab to market, and provide the building blocks for secure and interoperable systems. They ensure that devices, networks and services can work together seamlessly, from smartphones and satellites to connected cars, video streaming and a range of data-driven and digital solutions, including those that support artificial intelligence and emerging technologies such as quantum computing.
Patents complement standards by protecting inventions, to ensure that those investing time, effort and money to develop new technologies can enjoy a fair reward. And because patent applications are published in free public databases, they foster future innovation and standards by promoting knowledge transfer too. At the same time, the exclusive rights that reward the developers of new technologies must be balanced by fair access to these technologies. The widespread adoption of standards such as 5G, and the remarkable growth of the industries that rely on them, show that the patent and standardisation systems have provided effective solutions.
Preserving the balance between technology developers and implementers is crucial for competitiveness and legal certainty today, and will remain so tomorrow. This means aligning incentives to develop the best technical solutions with their broad dissemination through fair multi-party licensing deals (i.e. FRAND). Where disputes do arise in this area, appropriate procedures are crucial, including those available at the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC) of the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
The programme is designed to provide both a snapshot of the current norms and a glimpse into the future, as the global technology landscape continues to rapidly evolve.
