Progress Update: EU Initiatives to Unlock IP-Backed Finance
Intellectual property intensive industries play a crucial role in the EU economy. However, as discussed in our briefing of 8 May 2026, Unlocking IP-backed Finance: Recent EU Developments, it can be difficult for innovative businesses to leverage their intellectual property (IP) assets as strategic assets in order to access finance.
In recent weeks, there has been a further EU development in this area which may be of interest to IP-intensive businesses at all stages of the growth journey.
Update – European IP-Backed Finance Roadmap
On 22 June 2026 the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) announced that a ‘roadmap’ for IP-backed financing in Europe, which builds on the findings of EUIPO’s report, IP-Backed Finance in Europe: State of Play and Future Perspectives (April 2026), has been endorsed by the IP-Backed Finance Steering Group and Technical Working Group. These groups were established by the EUIPO and the European Commission earlier this year and comprise a mix of policymakers, IP offices, financial institutions (including the European Investment Fund), the European Investment Bank, the European Banking Authority as well as business leaders, and experts from the public and private sectors (EUIPO-European Commission Workshop for the IP-Backed Finance Initiative).
According to the EUIPO announcement, the roadmap is intended to provide a practical pathway for addressing the challenges faced by innovative businesses when it comes to leveraging IP assets to access finance. Areas of focus are understood to include improving how IP assets are disclosed and assessed, strengthening valuation practices, building a stronger evidence base through data and real financing transactions and exploring how guarantee schemes and other risk-sharing mechanisms can support financing for innovative businesses.
The focus will now turn to developing and testing the practical tools, methodologies and financing mechanisms necessary to support IP-backed financing, and the EUIPO has indicated that these are expected to be ready for operational deployment by the end of 2027.
We will continue to monitor developments in this area.
This document has been prepared by McCann FitzGerald LLP for general guidance only and should not be regarded as a substitute for professional advice. Such advice should always be taken before acting on any of the matters discussed.
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