Boosting Patent Examination Skills in Africa: Supported ARPET Training

The European Patent Office (EPO) has collaborated with AfrIPI (Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa) to further enhance search and examination capacity through the ARIPO Patent Examination Training (ARPET) programme. Expanding upon last year's Module B training session held in July, Modules C and D were introduced to provide further training to participants. This training took place from 16 to 25 October 2023 at the ARIPO premises in Harare with the aim of providing patent examiners with additional guidance from EPO experts to actively enhance their experience of conducting patent examinations.

The training lasted for 10 days and began with a comprehensive review of the fundamental elements covered previously in Module B. Following this, participants actively engaged in an advanced training module on substantive patent search and examination specifically developed for this programme by the EPO. This module significantly enhanced participants’ knowledge and skills, the primary objective being to enable them to conduct thorough patent searches, proficiently handle substantive examinations, and ultimately improve the overall efficiency of patent examination in the ARIPO Member States, Angola and Ethiopia.

This ARPET training also introduced a train-the-trainer component to actively equip participants with the essential skills required to become future trainers for newly recruited examiners. This approach aimed to establish a sustainable capacity for training and patent examination within the region, ensuring the uninterrupted transfer of expertise and knowledge.

This activity has been a significant step towards strengthening African intellectual property rights. By improving the skills of patent examiners and establishing sustainable training capacity, this initiative will contribute to the promotion of innovation, trade, and investment within Africa.