Briefs · Education and Upskilling
Patent Administration Finally Gets Its Own Passport
Patent administration finally gets its own passport.
The European Patent Office’s Candidate Support Programme is expanding from 2026 to cover EPAC, the European Patent Administration Certification — the pan-European credential for the patent profession. It runs in cooperation with national patent offices.
The programme is aimed at paralegals, patent administrators and formalities officers: the people who keep the patent system running and rarely get a certificate for it. It offers financial support plus tutoring and training to prepare candidates for the EPAC exam in October 2026.
Candidates should be preparing for at least two EPAC modules, ideally four. The application form opened on 30 January 2026 and runs to 19 February 2026.
Paralegals, promoted to professionals. Europe’s patent system depends on formalities done right, and formalities done right depend on people who have actually been trained.
Conclusion: the programme is not charity, but rather capacity — Europe needs patent professionals, and now it will pay to train them.
Read the original at European Patent Office
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