On May 15, the 2025 edition of the POLIMI European Patent Litigation Certificate course successfully concluded. The program was organized by the Department of Energy under the direction of Professor Antonio Salerno (Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano & UPC representative) and Lawyer Giovanni Casucci (EY Partner – IP Department). 

The training course was designed to prepare future European Patent Litigators—professionals with degrees in technical or scientific fields, qualified to represent clients before the Unified Patent Court (UPC). 

The Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court allow a single patent title to cover 18 European countries, and the role of a European Patent Litigator requires both technical and legal expertise. 

The six-month program hosted 46 professionals from across Europe and concluded with three days of hands-on practical exercises held in person at the Department of Energy, followed by a final exam to obtain the qualification. 

To close the course, the workshop “UPC Hot Topics: A Guided Discussion on the UPC Case Law” took place at the Regina Palace Hotel in Stresa, on Lake Maggiore. 

During the event, speakers Mattias Zigann and Dirk Böttcher—both judges at the Unified Patent Court, in Munich and Mannheim respectively—along with Elisabetta Papa and Alessandro Sanchini, both engineers and patent attorneys qualified as technical judges at the UPC, engaged in a multi-voice discussion on the most significant issues arising from recent UPC decisions. The discussion was moderated by Antonio Salerno and Giovanni Casucci. 

Following the workshop, a guided tour of the Borromeo Palace on Isola Bella was organized—an opportunity to foster networking among participants, speakers, and faculty members. 

Many participants expressed their appreciation for the course, describing it as a comprehensive program and a stimulating, meaningful experience that will have a lasting impact on their professional careers.