Technology Communities

Staff at the European Patent Office (EPO) work at the heart of the European patent system. While they reflect the diversity of EPO member states, their expertise reflects the diversity of technological innovation worldwide. A collaborative, inclusive and intellectually stimulating work environment is therefore central to the continuous knowledge sharing required to provide patent applicants and patent system users with the highest quality products and services.  

Patent examiners work at the forefront of technological developments across the board. To help ensure that the right examiners work on the right file at the right time, the EPO has structured its examiner teams around eight technology communities that reflect global technological landscapes.

The communities cover all areas of innovation, including many in which innovators are responding to the increased urgency of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; and to the changing needs of the industrial ecosystems that the European Commission outlined with a view to driving the transition to carbon neutrality and strengthening the European Union’s digital sovereignty.

Which technology community might provide you and your expertise with the best fit? Read on.     

Digital

Health

Energy

Agri-Food

Electronics & Physics

Materials & Production

Infrastructure & Mechanics

Mobility & Space Technologies