OEPM-Generalitat 2026 Agreement: What Catalan Companies Gain with Patents and Trademarks

Key data

Catalan SMEs and startups that protect their intangible assets—patents, trademarks, industrial designs—have had a new institutional ally since April 2026. The Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM) has formalized a cooperation agreement with the Generalitat de Catalunya to coordinate actions in industrial property matters. The agreement was published in the BOE on April 11, 2026 through the Resolution of March 30, 2026 (reference BOE-A-2026-8116).

This is not a new obligation or additional cost for companies. It is an administrative coordination agreement that has direct practical consequences: less bureaucratic friction, greater institutional proximity and better assistance to those who already manage or want to manage industrial property rights in Catalonia.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement creates a joint framework of action between the OEPM and the Generalitat de Catalunya. According to the published regulation, the areas of collaboration include:

• Processing of applications for patents, trademarks and industrial designs: coordination between state and regional administration to streamline processes.
• Training: joint activities aimed at companies, inventors and industry professionals.
• Dissemination: campaigns and informational actions to publicize industrial property protection mechanisms.
• Direct support for companies and inventors: closer and more personalized assistance to rights holders with activity in Catalonia.

The stated objective of the agreement is to avoid administrative duplications between the State and the autonomous community, and to improve the quality of service provided to industrial property rights holders.

The three types of intangible assets covered by the agreement are:

Economic and operational impact

This agreement does not generate direct costs for companies. Its impact is operational and strategic in nature:

• Reduction of processing times: coordination between OEPM and Generalitat can reduce administrative deadlines in registration processes.
• Greater geographic accessibility: the involvement of the Generalitat as a regional interlocutor facilitates access to industrial property services without having to manage everything directly with Madrid.
• Training and dissemination: Catalan SMEs and startups will be able to benefit from joint training programs that did not previously exist in this coordinated format.
• Fewer duplications: administrative coordination prevents a company from having to interact with two bodies that request redundant information or documentation.

For companies with an active portfolio of intangible assets, this operational improvement can translate into savings in time and management costs, especially in application and registration tracking phases.

Who does it affect?

The agreement directly benefits:

• Catalan SMEs with products or processes susceptible to being patented or with registered or pending trademarks.
• Technology startups with intangible assets such as software, hardware or innovative process patents.
• Individual inventors with activity in Catalonia who manage their own industrial property rights.
• Trademark holders operating in the Catalan market who need to protect their distinctive signs.
• Companies with industrial designs registered or in the process of registration.
• Industrial property advisors and agents who manage client portfolios with activity in Catalonia.

Practical example

A medical technology startup based in Barcelona that has developed a new diagnostic device wants to register the patent and protect its commercial trademark. Until now, the entire process was managed exclusively with the OEPM in Madrid, without regional involvement.

With the new agreement in force, this startup can:

1. Receive guidance and initial support through the services of the Generalitat de Catalunya, which are geographically closer.
2. Access joint OEPM-Generalitat training programs on how to protect its intangible assets efficiently.
3. Benefit from more coordinated processing between both administrations, reducing the risk of delays due to lack of institutional communication.

The practical result: less time invested in bureaucracy and more resources available for business development.

What should companies do now?

1. Review the status of your intangible assets: check if you have patents, trademarks or industrial designs pending registration or renewal. This is the time to activate those processes with the support of the new cooperation framework.
2. Contact the Generalitat de Catalunya to learn about the support services available under the agreement: training, advice and coordinated processing with the OEPM.
3. Consult an industrial property agent if you have unprotected intangible assets. The agreement improves the environment, but the decision to register remains yours.
4. Stay alert to training programs that result from the agreement: the OEPM and Generalitat will develop joint dissemination and training activities that may be useful for your team.
5. Verify the entry into force date as soon as it is published, as the regulation does not specify it in the initial resolution.