EBF and EUIPO strengthen cooperation to advance IP-backed finance in Europe

Brussels, 9 October 2026 - Following the European Commission’s proposal for a European Innovation Act, the European Banking Federation (EBF) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen their collaboration on intellectual property and access to finance.
Innovative companies and start-ups are central to Europe’s competitiveness, growth and technological sovereignty. To grow, scale and remain anchored in the Single Market, they need access to appropriate financing throughout their development.

Europe produces world-class research and innovative ideas but turning them into successful businesses remains a challenge. For many of these businesses, patents, trademarks and software represent a substantial share of their value. Yet valuing these assets remains difficult, and their value is not always fully reflected in financing decisions. More reliable and comparable valuation approaches, better market data and stronger secondary markets for intellectual assets could help companies make greater use of these assets to access finance. For banks, these elements are particularly relevant to assessing the value, enforceability and recoverability of assets in financing transactions.

In this context, the European Innovation Act recognises that creating knowledge alone is not enough: companies must also be able to finance and commercialise their intellectual assets. Its plans for an EU-wide framework for IP valuation and measures to promote IP-backed finance are important steps towards addressing this challenge. Importantly, the proposal also envisages a role for EUIPO in supporting financial institutions and commercial banks in the development of public and private financial instruments backed by IP. Banks have an important role to play, alongside public funding, private capital and other sources of investment.

Through the Memorandum of Understanding, EBF and EUIPO aim to bring the banking and intellectual property communities closer together and explore practical ways to better connect intellectual assets with financing opportunities. Their cooperation will provide a platform for exchanging expertise and developing a better understanding of how intellectual property can support companies’ access to finance. It will also provide a channel for banks to contribute their practical experience to the development of EUIPO tools and methodologies relevant for IP-backed finance.

EBF welcomes the Commission’s ambition to strengthen Europe’s innovation ecosystem. Cooperation between policymakers, intellectual property authorities, financial institutions and businesses will be essential to translate this ambition into workable solutions and new financing opportunities for Europe’s start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs.

For more information:

Jacopo Borgognone, Head of Capital Markets – j.borgognone@ebf.eu

Emanuela Manenti, Policy Adviser of Capital Markets – e.manenti@ebf.eu

About the EBF:

The European Banking Federation is the voice of the European banking sector, bringing together national banking associations from across Europe. The federation is committed to a thriving European economy that is underpinned by a stable, secure, and inclusive financial ecosystem, and to a flourishing society where financing is available to fund the dreams of citizens, businesses and innovators everywhere.