Speaking at the European Patent Forum on Thursday, Spain's Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Miguel Sebastián, announced that the processing time for renewable energy patents will be cut from the current 33-month period to no more than 12 months.

During his speech at the European Patent Forum, Sebastián said the Strategic Plan for the Promotion of Industrial Property (Plan Pi), approved by Spain's Council of Ministers last Friday, will also include a specific programme for renewable energy industrial property, so-called "green patents".

In addition to speeding up processing times, the Ministry will also introduce a series of measures to provide financial help for patents related to renewable energies.

Sebastián stressed that the patents, trademarks and designs registered will play an essential role in helping Europe overcome the crisis with an economic model based "on knowledge, competitiveness, cohesion and respect for the environment".

“Plan Pi” will involve investing 41.5 million euros over a three-year period to promote "intensive use of instruments designed to protect industrial property".

The Plan is divided into five strategic actions:

• Stimulating industrial property
• Business internationalisation
• Legal protection against piracy
• Fostering environmentally-friendly technologies
• Improving the quality of corporate management.

Measures used to help achieve these targets will include reducing fees for registering patents by 18%, and speeding up processing times by an average of 15%. Sebastian also announced that the Plan will include actions to raise awareness about piracy, which does not only affect jobs, but also has an impact on "areas related to health and safety".

European Patents Forum is an international Conference at which experts debate the “Innovation Potential of Renewable Energies in Europe”. It has taken place on the 28 and 29 of April, under the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, with the collaboration of the European Patent Office. In the course of the conference, the prizes for the European Inventor of the Year were given.