Since many years, Luxembourg has positioned itself as a welcoming place for innovative companies in an objective of diversification: more recently, in its program and in the State of the Nation Speech1, the Government emphasised ICT, environmental technologies or biotechnologies as key sectors for economic development.

Therefore, services and support offered in the field of intellectual property (hereafter "IP") also provide an incentive and a listening to companies that settle in Luxembourg, next to their IP portfolio, innovative and entrepreneurial activities.

Completed achievements....

The combination of a safe and proactive IP legal environment, financial incentives, strong infrastructures and telecommunication networks have already started to bear fruit as the following achievements-among others- can demonstrate:

  • Luxembourg hosts one of the most modern data center parks in Europe counting 20 data centers in operation2, beneficiating from the high quality infrastructures and connections;
  • World-renowned ICT and media companies are based in Luxembourg, taking advantage of the attractive and evolving tax environment (circular L.I.R. n°50bis of 5th March 2009);
  • In the Global innovation index 20143,Luxembourg ranks at the 9th world position (12th in the 2013 edition). During the period 2008-2013, aided projects in Research, Developments and Innovation (RDI) have tripled due notably to new regimes introduced by the amended Law of 5th June 2009 which have extended the possibilities for financial support to companies launching innovation activities;
  • Luxembourg proposes an easy way to patent registration and validation: in 2012, 21.267 patents were in force4 against approximately 22.000 in 2014, while patents and trademarks applications and registrations' filings are booming. Important point: the Court of Appeal of the future new European Unified Patent Court ("UPC") will be based in Luxembourg; and
  • Luxembourg positions itself as "Information Trust Center" with notably the introduction of the electronic signature called LuxTrust certificate in 2007 ensuring the protection of electronic transactions. In the forthcoming weeks, a law -unique in Europe- on electronic archiving will be voted, aiming at attracting multinational companies seeking to centralise their global archiving in one place (i.e. by placing them in a "cloud") in order to ensure better management, lower costs and increased safety.

....and future success stories to build up with the support of the new Luxembourg Institute of Intellectual Property

On 1st of August, Luxembourg's Government approved the creation of the Luxembourg Institute of Intellectual Property (hereafter "IPIL"). IPIL will take the legal form of an EIG (Economic Interest Group).

IPIL as a result of this long-term engagement of Luxembourg's Government...

IPIL comes to life after 20 years of shared commitment of the Intellectual Property Office of the Ministry of Economy and of the Public Research Centre Henri Tudor (hereafter "CRP Henri Tudor").

In 1994, the creation of the Technology Watch Centre (Centre de Veille Technologique, or CVT) was the first testimony of this union between the Ministry of Economy and the CRP Henri Tudor. They have both decided to create "an organization offering technology watch and competitive intelligence services to companies with a view to improving their competitiveness"5. CVT is today an internationally renowned centre, notably due to the several successful projects in which it was involved. Most human resources of the CVT will integrate the IPIL while bringing their experience, expertise and skills.

... with strong objectives of economic incentive, unity and transmission

The objective of the IPIL is to bring together in a coherent manner both national and international expertise on intellectual property (identification, security / protection, exploitation, legal aspects) and the skills to provide economic and institutional actors to form a lever of growth for Luxembourg.

....and concrete missions 

IPIL shall have the following duties:

  • coordinate the implementation of public policy and unite stakeholders;
  • develop and provide support services and support to businesses, research stakeholders, public institutions and other interested members of the public;
  • develop and provide training and promotional activities and awareness; and
  • conduct projects and studies to advise the Government.6

IPIL and "Luxembourg of Science and Technology": together we are stronger

The creation of IPIL is in line with the future merger of the CRP Henri Tudor with another research centre, the CRP Gabriel Lippmann. Both will form as from 1st January 2015 one single research centre, the "Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology" (LIST), boasting over 600 researchers working in the fields of IT and innovative services, materials, environment and agrobiotechnology.

The LIST will take the legal form of an EIG (Economic Interest Group) and will create strong connections with the IPIL.

By reinforcing sharing and transfer of good experience and know-how, coordination of efforts and pooling of resources, IPIL and LIST will certainly bring added value to the activities and projects of the well- established and future key players in the IP area in Luxembourg.

Footnotes

1.2013 Government program: http://www.gouvernement.lu/3322796/Programme-gouvernemental.pdf; 2014 State of the Nation Speech: https://www.gouvernement.lu/3642384/09-edn-fr

2.http://ict.investinluxembourg.lu

3.http://www.odc.public.lu/actualites/2014/07/global_innovation_index_2014...

4.http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/country_profile/countries/lu.html

5.http://tudor.lu/sites/tudor/files/ar-2013-cvt.pdf

6,Gouvernment Council of August 01,2014: http://www.gouvernement.lu/3891246/01-conseil-gouvernement?context=519177

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