The VPI is an intergovernmental organisation established by the Visegrad Group countries to act as an international search and preliminary examination body under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

The VPI also offers novelty searches with a preliminary report on patentability for other applications and for inventions for which an application has not (yet) been filed. The report is produced within four weeks of the request being received.

The Memorandum, signed today by Johanna Stadler, Director of the Visegrad Patent Institute, and Karin Žvokelj, Director of the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office, lays the groundwork for strengthening cooperation between the two institutions in the following areas:

• raising awareness on patenting (seminars, symposia, scientific meetings);
• exchange of experts and mutual consultations;
• raising awareness of incentives and different types of support for inventors and SMEs;
• raising awareness of VPI services in the field of commercial enquiries;
• raising awareness of the possibility for holders of Slovenian national patents to use the Inventions Inquiry Service with Prior Report on Patentability in official proceedings before the Slovenian IP Office.

Director Karin Žvokelj expressed her satisfaction with the strengthening of cooperation and the launch of further joint projects. She underlined that patent policy is one of the key foundations of modern innovation ecosystems. The signing of the Memorandum is part of the enhanced international cooperation of the Slovenian Intellectual Property Office, which actively seeks to transfer good practices and solutions that help and support the Slovenian economy.