From 8 to 12 December 2025 the WIPO Regional Patent Drafting Workshop for the Central European, Baltic and Mediterranean Region became the meeting point for 46 professionals representing 19 countries. Hosted by the Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia in Belgrade, the five-day training brought together technology transfer officers, innovation advisers, TISC staff, patent professionals, and university representatives, with the aim to strengthen their practical capacity to draft patent applications that are clear, robust, and strategically aligned with innovation outcomes.
The training focused on strengthening practical patent drafting skills, with particular emphasis on claim drafting. For most participants, this was not simply another training, it was their first sustained opportunity to step inside the craft of patent drafting and to understand how patent claims directly influence the commercial value, scope, and durability of innovation. Each day combined lectures with hands-on exercises using real-world case studies.
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Three international instructors from different jurisdictions and technical backgrounds delivered the Workshop program: Kelly Merkel – IP Attorney USA, Eaton, UK, Victoria Lovatt - European and Singapore Patent Attorney, BAT, UK, and Diego Vergani - Swiss and European Patent Attorney. Under their close guidance, complementary perspectives helped participants understand how drafting practices operate across legal systems while remaining grounded in practical realities.
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One of the defining features of the training was its regional diversity. Participants came from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, and Türkiye and collaborated closely in small teams.
The practical orientation of the workshop was particularly appreciated by the participants - Ms. Magdalena Szczepanowicz (Patent professional, Poland) highlighted how “the exercises demystified patent drafting by focusing on familiar, everyday objects and translating them into structured patent descriptions”, an approach she attributed to both the quality of the instructors and the collaborative group environment. Ms. Kelly Merkel, one of the instructors, also highlighted, through LinkedIn, that “the workshop was as much about exchange as instruction, a space where trainers also learned from the intensity, curiosity, and commitment of participants across the region.”
From the IP Office of the Republic of Serbia, which hosted the Workshop, Ms. Aleksandra Mihailovic (Assistant Director) shared that "Hosting the workshop in Serbia was a privilege, as it provided an inspiring platform for participants to strengthen networks, exchange knowledge, and explore new ways to create meaningful regional impact. I believe that these professional connections will continue to flourish through future collaboration in our region."
Guest lecturers from Serbia, including graduates of previous WIPO patent drafting programs, reinforced a key message: strong drafting capacity can be built locally, and it matters.
As participants returned home to their universities, TTOs or firms, they carried with them more than certificates. They carried sharper skills, shared connections and a clearer understanding of how drafting choices can shape innovation outcomes for years to come.
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