On 1 July 2024 the inauguration ceremony of the Milan section of the central division took place in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Antonio Tajani, the Minister of Justice, Mr Carlo Nordio, the President of the Milan Court of Appeal, Mr Fabio Roia, the President of the Court of Appeal of the Unified Patent Court, Mr Klaus Grabinski, the President of the Court of First Instance of the UPC, Ms Florence Butin and the UPC Registrar, Mr Alexander Ramsay.

The event, organized by the Milan Technical Table for the Unitary Patent, also included a conference part with interventions from two panels with distinguished speakers. The first panel addressed the first year of the Unified Patent Court and provided insights on the experiences made from the side of the judges as well from the Member States and academia while the second panel shared its views on concrete topics such as the opt-out, the progress on unitary supplementary certificates, the development and importance of the Patent and Mediation Center, the development of patenting in Italy and the opportunities for SMEs.

We extend our warmest thanks to the organizers, in particular to Ms. Marina Tavassi, former President of the Milan Court of Appeal and coordinator of the Milan Technical Table for the Unitary Patent and all the participants and speakers who made the inauguration of the Milan section of the central division a success.