Ireland's National DNA Database Marks 10th Anniversary

Ireland's Department of Justice announced the 10th anniversary of the national DNA database, established under the Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence and DNA Database System) Act 2014. The database, managed by Forensic Science Ireland, has aided nearly 8,000 criminal investigations since 2015 and currently holds over 94,000 profiles.

EUIPO Trains Judges and Prosecutors on Dark Web Technologies

The EUIPO has conducted training for judges and prosecutors across the EU on open dark web technologies. This initiative aims to enhance their understanding and capabilities in addressing intellectual property rights infringements facilitated by these technologies.

EUIPO Workshop on Intellectual Property Crime

The EUIPO hosted a workshop focused on combating intellectual property crime. The event brought together various stakeholders to discuss tools and strategies for fighting IP crime across the European Union.

EUIPO Mediation for IP Dispute Resolution

The EUIPO has published a news item highlighting the benefits of mediation in resolving intellectual property disputes. Mediation is presented as a tool to foster recovery and healing for parties involved in IP conflicts, promoting amicable solutions outside of formal litigation.

EUIPO: Women's Untapped Economic Potential in IP

The EUIPO has published a notice highlighting the untapped economic potential of women within the intellectual property landscape. The notice discusses the importance of gender equality in innovation and entrepreneurship and calls for greater support for women entrepreneurs and creators.

EUIPO Message on Inclusivity for International Women's Day

The EUIPO has issued a joint message for International Women's Day, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity within the intellectual property sector. The message highlights the EUIPO's commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for all.

European Patent Applications Exceed 200,000 for First Time

The European Patent Office (EPO) reported a record 201,974 patent applications in 2025, a 1.4% increase from the previous year. Key growth areas include computer technology, AI, quantum, semiconductors, and digital communication. China entered the top three countries of origin for the first time.

EPO Partners with Mistral AI for Patent Process and OCR Enhancement

The European Patent Office (EPO) has partnered with Mistral AI to deploy an advanced optical character recognition (OCR) model. This initiative aims to enhance the patent granting process by transforming non-machine-readable documents into structured data, supporting prior-art searchability and analysis.

EPO Report: Women Underrepresented in Tech Startups and Innovation

The European Patent Office (EPO) has released a study indicating that women remain significantly underrepresented as inventors, patenting startup founders, and patent professionals in cutting-edge technology fields across Europe. Despite increasing numbers of women in STEM, the gender gap persists across career stages, with only 13.8% of inventors and 13.5% of patenting startups having a woman founder.

EPO Report: Quantum Tech Surge, Slow Market Adoption

A new report by the European Patent Office (EPO) and OECD reveals that quantum technologies have surged five-fold in patenting activity over the past decade, with a projected global market of €93 billion by 2035. Despite this growth, market adoption and scaling remain slow, particularly in Europe, which leads in startups but lags in funding.