PRESS RELEASE
European IPR Helpdesk: Successful kick-off of 2014 activities
Launch of Horizon 2020 and COSME sets the frame for this year’s work plan
Luxembourg, 30 January 2014 – The launch of the new EU Framework Programme
for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020, as well as of the Programme for the
Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs, COSME, is the basis for this year’s activities
of the European IPR Helpdesk. Given the increasingly market-driven approach of both
programmes even more emphasis will be placed on turning research outcomes and
technological developments into value-creating products and/or services, which in
turn will reinforce the need for professional IP management. Moreover, with SMEs
being perceived as major drivers of innovation in Europe, an even greater push
towards the participation of innovative SMEs in these programmes will be seen.
Against this backdrop the European IPR Helpdesk will take an even stronger business
and innovation-oriented approach this year, concentrating on offering a service
portfolio that increasingly addresses IP management in relation to central topics such
as exploitation, commercialisation and business planning. Furthermore, the team will
reinforce its efforts to reach out to SMEs in particular by dedicating more resources
to targeted, content-driven outreach and communications activities. Apart from this,
the well-established core services of the European IPR Helpdesk will remain, namely:
the helpline, training, as well as content-generating services that provide informative
material, guiding documents and regular news formats.
In view of the start of Horizon 2020 and COSME an increased demand for IP advice
and support is expected, particularly given the increased exploitation and innovation
focus of the new programmes. Therefore, the team managing the EU IPR Helpdesk
for the last three years is glad to have been awarded the service contract for another
year, thus ensuring a very strong continuity of service provision for the users in this
critical starting phase.
With 4,600 registered users, almost 2,000 successfully answered Helpline queries,
more than 240 training and awareness raising events, the set-up of the European IPR
Helpdesk Ambassador Scheme in collaboration with the Enterprise Europe Network
counting 50 ambassadors all over Europe to date, and an ever growing library of
newsletters, fact sheets, guides and case studies the team will continue to build on
the achievements of successful past three years.
About the European IPR Helpdesk
The European IPR Helpdesk is a service initiative that aims to raise awareness of Intellectual Property
(IP) and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR). It provides free of charge, first-line support on IP and IPR
matters to current and potential beneficiaries of European collaborative research projects
(FP7/CIP/Horizon 2020/COSME) as well as to European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
involved in transnational business relations.
The service offerings of the European IPR Helpdesk include an expert helpline, training activities (on-site
and web-based) as well as a broad range of informative and guiding documents such as fact sheets,
newsletters and case studies dealing with various aspects of IPR and IP management. The helpline can
be reached can be reached by email (service@iprhelpdesk.eu), phone (+352 25 2233-333) or fax (+352
25 2233-334). Specific questions regarding training can be directed at: training@iprhelpdesk.eu.
The project consortium behind the European IPR Helpdesk consists of three partners: infeurope S.A.
(project coordinator/Luxembourg), Centre de Veille Technologique, a department of the Public Research
Centre Henri Tudor (Luxembourg) working in close collaboration with the Luxembourg Intellectual
Property Office (Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade), and EURICE - European Research and Project
Office GmbH (Germany).
The initiative is managed by the European Commission’s Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized
Enterprises (EASME) with policy guidance from the European Commission’s Directorate-General
Enterprise and Industry. Even though the contents of this document has been developed with the
financial support of the EU, the positions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the official opinion of EASME or the European Commission. Please see our full disclaimer at
www.iprhelpdesk.eu.
Contact
European IPR Helpdesk
Stephanie Weber
c/o Eurice GmbH
Science Park 1
66123 Saarbrücken
Phone +49 681 95923394
stephanie.weber@iprhelpdesk.eu
The European IPR Helpdesk is managed by the European Commission’s Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized
Enterprises (EASME) with policy guidance from the European Commission’s Directorate-General Enterprise & Industry.
Even though the contents of this document has been developed with the financial support of the EU, the positions
expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of EASME or the European
Commission. Please see our full disclaimer at www.iprhelpdesk.eu.
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