The core of every business is its ideas, concepts and know-how. Protecting this intellectual property (IP) is standard for large companies, but is often still a mystery for SMEs. In this episode, we speak to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), whose mission is to help businesses register their IP. Our guests Andrea Di Carlo, Deputy Executive Director and Inge Buffolo, Director of the Customer Department, explain to us why so few SMEs protect their IP and how the new EUIPO program “Ideas powered for business” can be the solution.

But where does the accountancy profession fit in?

According to data from EUIPO, accountants are the most trusted advisor for SMEs and they can play a critical role in setting SMEs up for success through the protection of their IP. At the same time, this offers new opportunities for the accountancy profession, to become holistic business advisors to their clients.

EUIPO emphasises in the podcast that their partnership with Accountancy Europe helps them reach even more SMEs, given Accountancy Europe’s vast membership of professional accountants, covering 50 professional member bodies in 35 countries.

If this episode has piqued your interest, we would like to welcome you to our joint event with EUIPO on May 4^th. Further information on the event and registration will follow shortly.

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