Are you an inventor, or just inspired by innovative minds? Europe has a heritage of great inventions. Innovation is a bridge to the future and can bring social and economic progress.

If you have an inventive mind, new knowledge, or ideas on how to use existing knowledge in a novel way, the EU can help bring your ideas to fruition. The European Patent Office inventors' handbook answers vital questions on how to turn inventions into economic reality, while the EU encourages investment in knowledge and creation with incentives such as patents, trademarks, geographical indications, designs and copyrights.

How do you check whether someone else already invented and patented a similar product or idea? The European Patent Office has a free search service with a vast pool of data from around the world to help find the answer. Inventors can also get help from a guide and a pool of experts when applying for a European patent. To improve its current patent system, the EU introduced a Unified Patent Court. Moreover, since July 2022, the EU aims to encourage innovators to make better use of EU single market finance opportunities, as well as attracting new private and public investors to reinforce EU financial and capital markets, as set out in the European innovation agenda.

Finally, while the European Innovation Scoreboard maps innovation performance, the European Inventor Award is the EU's trophy in the quest for new ideas. Each year, the EU celebrates the spirit of innovation and awards exceptional inventors.