Talk innovation: unlocking technology

From leaving school at 16 to directing  breakthrough  research  programmes  at top universities, Professor Dame Carol Robinson has had a rich and nonlinear STEM career.  Listen as she explains how persistence and practical skills helped her field hurdles while tackling imposter syndrome and a career break to raise her children. She also discusses the improvements she's seen for future generations, the importance of mentorship in academia and industry, and the value she sees in owning your story, whatever it may be.  
 
This conversation includes insights from the EPO Observatory on Patents and Technology's new study on the gender gap across Europe's innovation ecosystem. 
 
Host: Victor Arribas Martinez, Stream leader, EPO Observatory on Patents and Technology 
 
Guest: Professor Dame Carol Robinson, Director of the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery at Oxford University, Founder and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board at OMass Therapeutics 

More information:    
“Advancing women in STEM. A data-driven assessment of the gender gap across Europe’s innovation ecosystem” March 2026 study from the EPO’s Observatory on Patents and Technology 

Recording of the event “The future needs her: Advancing women in STEM” 

Carol Vivien Robinson: Advancing biochemistry with mass spectrometry (epo.org)

From mobile streaming to videos only intended to be seen by computers, the technology behind compression algorithms has opened a world of possibilities that goes far beyond entertainment.  
 
Join two EPO patent examiners as they discuss how decades of global collaboration have shaped today's digital technologies, and how new approaches to video coding can improve speed, privacy and efficiency in areas like autonomous driving and smart cities. 
 
Host: Cristina Lopes Margarido, EPO patent examiner in culinary equipment & food treating devices  

Guests: Maryse Stoufs, EPO patent examiner in video coding & compression.

Join two EPO examiners as they explore the out-of-this-world to everyday advancements made possible by 3D printing. 
From printing tools in outer space to creating smart safety coatings for cell batteries to help protect children, discover the materials science behind these additive and powder technologies. Get insight into what makes these breakthroughs truly “out of the box,” and what it's like to examine inventions at the forefront of innovation.   
 
Host: Cristina Lopes Margarido, EPO patent examiner in culinary equipment & food treating devices  
 
Guest: Inga Helgadóttir, EPO patent examiner in additive & powder technology

Quantum technologies promise to radically accelerate progress in medicine, climate modelling, materials science, energy systems and beyond. But what stage are these technologies at today? 
Get an exciting look into the future of innovation as experts discuss Europe's world-class quantum science and startup scene and what it will take for their breakthroughs to scale. From finding the right talent and patient investors to developing resilient supply chains and strong intellectual property strategies, getting quantum to market can be complex but its potential impact is unprecedented. 
Drawing on key highlights from a recent EPO-OECD study on quantum computing, communication and sensing, this episode explores how inventors, policymakers and investors are working together to drive the next quantum revolution. 

Host: Marguerite McCaughan, Communications Manager, EPO 
Guests:  
Pere Arque Castells, Stream leader, EPO Observatory on Patents and Technology 
Guy Lalanne, Acting Head of Division - Productivity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 
Samira Nik, European Innovation Council 
Alexandra Paul, Global Public Policy Lead, Pasqal 
Pierre Jaeger, Quantum Strategic Partnership Europe & Quantum Leader France, IBM Quantum 
Ylan Tran, Investor, Quantonation 
 
More information:  
Visit the EPO’s quantum technologies platform: epo.org/quantum

Driven by a lifelong passion for science and a commitment to environmental sustainability, Marie Perrin discovered an innovative method for recycling rare earth elements from electronic waste. In this episode the winner of the World Builders Prize at the Young Inventors Prize 2025 shares her journey from doctoral researcher at ETH Zurich to co-founder of pioneering startup REEcover.  
Marie and host Ed Cooke discuss the environmental challenges of rare earth mining, the technical breakthroughs behind her process and how her invention transforms electronic waste into a valuable resource, reducing chemical waste and energy use.  Marie also reflects on the importance of innovation in the circular economy, the powerful influence of role models and the steep learning curve for scientists turned entrepreneurs. 
 
Host: Ed Cooke, EPO examiner 
Guests: Marie Perrin, Chemist and REEcover co-founder 
More information:   
Marie Perrin’s profile on epo.org