On 22-24 October 2025, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the implementing agency of Component 3 for Intellectual Property Rights, hosted a high-level delegation from the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) of Brazil, led by its President, at its headquarters in Alicante, Spain. 

The three-day programme combined strategic meetings with detailed technical sessions and specialised exchanges. The central purpose of the visit was to deepen the understanding of the functioning of the EUIPO trade mark system, allowing a close look at its operational and procedural methods. The agenda also included the continuation of dialogues with the EUIPO Boards of Appeal to identify and assess effective practices that could be adapted and incorporated in Brazil.

The meetings covered recent developments and strategic priorities of both institutions, together with the evolution of cooperation activities. The sessions focused on the modernisation of internal processes, such as forecasting and workload management through AI, support to SMEs and the dissemination of both EU and Brazilian IPR systems. The programme also included exchanges on the functioning of the Boards of Appeal, mediation and ADR services, governance and funding models, as well as the use of training resources for IP professionals, providing a broad overview of the approaches of each office and possibilities for future collaboration.

During the stay, the delegation also discussed areas of common interest, including AI governance and ethics, valuation of IP assets and comparative practices between IP offices. These exchanges further strengthen cooperation between the EU and the INPI, highlighting shared challenges and opportunities to improve support for innovation and deliver effective IP services.

The visit contributes directly to the first expected outcome of Component 3: strengthening the capacities of national and regional IP offices in MERCOSUR countries, in order to move towards more effective and user-centred IPR protection and enforcement systems. It also functioned as a space to explore new lines of joint work and collaborations within IP thematic alliances, consolidating a cooperative relationship that has developed over the years in the two editions of the EU-funded project, IP Key Latin America, and continues under AL-INVEST Verde IPR.