Europe moves from analysis to action on IP-backed finance

Photo by Guillaume Périgois on Unsplash

The EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Commission (DG GROW), along with IP experts from around the EU, have taken a major step forward in the development of an EU-wide IP-backed finance ecosystem with the adoption of proposals to create a European IP-Backed Finance Roadmap at an event in June 2026.

An earlier IP finance workshop in Brussels on 4-5 December 2025, saw the EUIPO and the European Commission launching an IP finance initiative that brought together together policymakers, IP offices, financial institutions - including the European Investment Fund (EIF), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the European Banking Authority (EBA) - as well as business leaders and experts from the public and private sectors.

Following that workshop, two groups were established: the IP-backed Finance Steering Group (SG) and the Technical Working Group (TWG). The Technical Working Group’s role is to prepare proposals that will be reviewed by the Steering Group, made up of key advisors shaping the EU’s strategic approach to IP valuation and financing.

The recently published EUIPO report, IP-backed finance in Europe: state of play and future perspectives (see image below) was produced by the SG and the TWG. It identified the main barriers preventing innovative businesses from using intellectual property more effectively when seeking finance and suggested potential next steps (see image below).

At the latest joint meeting of the IP-Backed Finance Steering Group and Technical Working Group, participants endorsed the idea of a Roadmap, which would, the EUIPO and the EU said in a statement, mark “the transition from analysis and research towards practical implementation.”

Opening the June 11 event, Nathalie Berger, Director for Competitiveness Coordination at DG GROW, and João Negrão, Executive Director of the EUIPO, highlighted the importance of adapting Europe’s financial system to an economy increasingly driven by innovation, knowledge, and intangible assets.

“Europe has the talent, the research, and the capital. What we need is a financial system that better recognises the value of innovation and intellectual property, helping innovative businesses grow, scale, and compete globally,” Negrão said.

The EUIPO and DG GROW point out that although intellectual property and other intangible assets are often among a company’s most valuable resources, they remain difficult for many financial institutions to assess and use in financing decisions. As a result, innovative businesses -particularly start-ups, scale-ups, and SMEs- can struggle to access the finance they need to grow.

The IP-Backed Finance Roadmap will set out a practical pathway to address this challenge. The objective will be to help businesses present information about their intellectual property and other intangible assets in a clearer and more consistent way, while supporting banks, investors and public financial institutions in better understanding and using that information.

The work will focus on several areas identified as essential for a functioning IP-backed finance ecosystem. These include improving how intangible assets are disclosed and assessed, strengthening valuation practices, building a stronger evidence base through data and real financing transactions, and exploring how guarantee schemes and other risk-sharing mechanisms can support financing for innovative businesses.

By the end of 2027, the core components needed to support the wider European IP-backed finance ecosystem are expected to be ready for operational deployment, creating new opportunities to connect innovation, investment, and growth.

Discussions at the latest meeting highlighted the importance of maintaining a structured and evidence-based dialogue with key EU institutions, including the European Commission, the European Investment Fund (EIF), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the European Banking Authority (EBA), as well as with financial institutions and market actors.

Participants also discussed how intellectual property and other intangible assets can be better reflected in European competitiveness, innovation, and financial policy initiatives, including future opportunities linked to the next Multiannual Financial Framework.

The meeting also included presentations on initiatives developed at national level, including the Slovenian experience in IP-backed finance, and on ongoing work by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in the field of intangible assets and access to finance.

Participants agreed that continued cooperation between EU institutions, financial actors and the intellectual property community will be essential to advancing practical solutions at the intersection of intellectual property, finance, and competitiveness. Capacity building, awareness raising and the development of practical tools were also identified as priorities for the next phase of work.

With the endorsement of the Roadmap concept, the focus now shifts to developing and testing the practical tools, methodologies and financing mechanisms needed to help innovative European businesses make greater use of their intellectual property when seeking finance.

Image from IP-backed finance in Europe: state of play and future perspectives ©EUIPO