The new "WIPANO - knowledge and technology transfer via patents and standards" support program run by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) is the successor to the SIGNO program that expired at the end of 2015. It pursues the same aim of offering financial support for registering and making use of property rights (patents and utility-model patents). The WIPANO program offers subsidies to companies so as to aid knowledge and technology transfer via patents and standards, and the "Companies" section also helps SMEs to protect their R&D results through industrial property rights.

SMEs who have not registered a patent or utility-model patent during the previous five years are eligible to apply and can call at the stand run by the EZN - Erfinderzentrum Norddeutschland during HANNOVER MESSE 2016 to find out how businesses can benefit from patenting and for a practical "step-by-step guide to patenting" for their own application. The visit could really pay off considering funding can cover up to 50 percent of the eligible costs and total as much as some EUR 16,000. The EZN offers four dedicated service packages to assist with the patenting process, of which only number 4 requires a patent agent. And if that’s not incentive enough, the EZN also offers companies its expert assistance throughout the entire industrial property rights process for 24 months.

EZN Erfinderzentrum Norddeutschland GmbH (30159 Hannover, Germany), Hall 2, Stand A21

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