For the Estonian Patent Office, the past year has been a time of developments and new beginnings. Change creates opportunities to take a fresh look both at our own role and how we can best support the development of Estonia’s intellectual property and their valuation within society.
Since taking on the role of Director General, I have experienced just how important a strong and dedicated team is. It is through collaboration that solutions are born, helping us to move forward with confidence and determination. Our people are the Estonian Patent Office’s greatest asset – their knowledge, experience, and willingness to contribute form the foundation upon which we can build the future.
Raising awareness of intellectual property remains one of our key objectives. The world around us is changing rapidly, and the role of ideas, knowledge and creativity in the economy is constantly growing. To ensure that Estonian entrepreneurs and creators can fully realise their potential, we must be closer to them, clearer, and more visible. Strengthening communication and cooperation is key here, and new initiatives in this direction offer assurance that we are moving in the right direction.
Last year saw a number of meaningful initiatives and events that helped to improve the visibility of the intellectual property sector. Of particular note was the annual Trade Mark and Design Gala, where a design award was presented for the first time, highlighting the importance of design in business. The trademark game was also a success, receiving widespread coverage on social media.
An information day on geographical indications, held in cooperation with the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, marked an important step in raising broader awareness of this topic. The development of geographical indications was also advance through the establishment of an internal work group tasked with mapping out the obligations arising from European Union regulations and creating a clear framework for further action.
The ‘Ehe Eesti – Eesti ettevõttele eesti nimi’ (‘Authentic Estonia – an Estonian name for an Estonian company’) competition, started by the Institute of the Estonian Language, has gained strong momentum, with the Estonian Patent Office playing a key role in highlighting the best Estonian-language trade marks. We also contributed to supporting young people’s creativity by participating in the Student Inventors Competition and helping to select the recipients of awards from the Estonian Patent Office and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
An important part of our work involves cooperation with universities and research institutions, particularly in the development of technology and knowledge transfer. The Baltic TTO mentoring programme, held in Tallinn in cooperation with the WIPO, and the high-level conference associated with it brought together experts and contributed to a discussion on how the public sector can support cooperation between universities and companies. An international conference was also held in Tallinn, organised by the Estonian Working Group of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), which brought together practitioners and experts in the field from several continents. For the first time, the conference provided the Director Generals of the Patent Offices of the three Baltic States with the opportunity to discuss developments in the field of intellectual property during a panel discussion.
International cooperation is a natural and essential part of the Estonian Patent Office’s activities. The past year has been marked by several significant milestones. Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, visited Estonia for the first time, a visit that confirmed our good reputation and reliability at the international level. During the meeting, Estonia was recognised for its active role and a memorandum of cooperation was signed, creating new opportunities for developing services and strengthening expertise.
A particular achievement worth highlighting is Estonia’s role as coordinator of the WIPO Central European and Baltic States (CEBS) Group in 2025 – a responsibility that Estonia has not previously held. This role enhanced our visibility in international cooperation and provided an opportunity to shape the debate on intellectual property at a broader level.
Another important milestone in developing cooperation was the Estonian Patent Office’s first Strategy Day, which aimed to strengthen Estonia’s intellectual property ecosystem and define our role within it more clearly. Together with entrepreneurs, universities, students, patent attorneys and stakeholders in the field, we established a meaningful and forward-looking dialogue that provides a solid foundation for future steps.
Speaking of cooperation, we also launched a new working format: joint working groups with patent attorneys to resolve procedural issues relating to inventions and trade marks. Meaningful and trusting cooperation with patent attorneys and the Estonian Chamber of Patent Attorneys has been invaluable in this regard.
It was a particularly busy year for the Patent Department. The number of patent applications increased by approximately 60% compared to the previous year, whilst the volume of other forms of industrial property remained stable.
As our activities are largely IT-based, the transition to the new invention processing system (LMIS) was a significant step. Inevitably, the transition to the new Computer Workstation 2.0 also brought changes, but these challenges were successfully overcome together.
As a significant mark of quality, we secured the renewal of our ISO quality management system certification for the next three years, which confirms the consistency and reliability of our work.
At the same time, we have consciously developed our organisation: updated work processes, strengthened competencies, and maintained an organisational culture that supports openness, collaboration, and continuous development. Our aim is to increasingly establish ourselves as a centre of excellence in intellectual property, whom people turn to for knowledge, advice, and partnership.
The annual report provides an overview of our activities, achievements, and lessons learnt. I hope it reflects both our commitment and our ambition to contribute to the future of Estonia’s creative heritage.
I would like to thank all my colleagues and partners who have contributed to this journey.
