Finding traineeship opportunities

UI is a member of Pan-European Seal, a programme run by EPO and EUIPO.  The programme aims to promote understanding of intellectual property rights among students and staff in European universities, bridging the gap between academia and the labour market when it comes to commercialising and protecting intellectual property.

The collaboration involves access to educational resources and other support for teaching and organisation of events related to IP rights. The Icelandic Intellectual Property Office coordinates UI’s involvement with the Pan-European Seal Programme.  

EPO and EUIPO offer students unique work experience opportunities in an international environment, as well as comprehensive education on IP rights. There are also various other perks for students on the traineeship, such as language courses. If you are interested in the traineeship, you will need to apply first to UI. We will evaluate whether the applications we receive meet basic requirements before nominating a number of students.  

We would especially urge you to consider applying if your subject has a particular relevance to intellectual property rights (engineering, physical sciences, pharmacy, biotechnology, business administration, law, economics, finance and international affairs). Once UI has evaluated the applications and decided which students to nominate, these students can apply to EPO or EUIPO, who will then make the final selections for the traineeships.  

UI students who have:  

a)    completed an undergraduate or Master’s degree within two years of the application date, or who are enrolled in doctoral studies. Students who are selected for the traineeship programme must have completed their studies by the time the traineeship starts (including submission of final thesis).  

b)    strong proficiency in one of the three EPO working languages (English, German or French), at least to the standard of level B1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.  

This means that you can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. You should also be able to understand the main point of many radio or TV programmes on current affairs or topics of personal and professional interest when the delivery is relatively slow and clear. See here for further information: Common European Framework of Reference for languages. 

If you apply to EUIPO, the same rules apply except there are five working languages (English, German, French, Italian or Spanish). 

c)    complete the required online courses.  

If you apply to EPO, you must complete the courses before the traineeship starts.  

If you apply to EUIPO, you must complete the courses before submitting your application.  

For further information about the online courses, see the information below about applications to each institution.  

Please note that you cannot apply to both EPO and EUIPO.  

• Deadline to apply to UI: 17 May
• Deadline to apply to EPO: 15 March 
• Deadline to apply to EUIPO: 31 March 
• Response received: June 
• Traineeship starts: September 

All applicants need to apply first to UI and we will decide which students to nominate. Students nominated by UI then need to apply online through the relevant institution’s website.  

Traineeship at EPO: UI will nominate up to five students who have completed an undergraduate or Master’s degree, or who are enrolled in doctoral studies in engineering, physical sciences, pharmacy or biotechnology and five students in business administration, law, economics, finance or international affairs. These students will have the opportunity to apply for a traineeship with EPO. 

Traineeships at EPO are available in the following areas: 

• Science, engineering and information technology 
• Human resource management and business administration 
• International affairs and communication 
• Economics and finance 
• Law 

Traineeship at EUIPO: UI will nominate five students who have completed degrees in law, IP rights, knowledge management, political science, international affairs, linguistics, economics, business administration, entrepreneurship, information technology (data analysis, information security, business analysis, software engineering, service solutions), communication, facilities management (e.g. engineering), and human resource management. These students will have the opportunity to apply for a traineeship with EUIPO. 

EPO and EUIPO decide which students will be offered traineeships.  

The application to UI (submitted by email to inno@hi.is) must include: 

• Name 
• Email address and telephone number 
• Information about your study programme and how far along you are in your academic career 
• CV - please use the EUROPASS – CV template in Word.   
• Letter of motivation explaining why you are applying and whether you would like to do a traineeship with EPO or EUIPO and in which area (you may not apply to both institutions). The letter must evidence your ability to write English at the standard of level B1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. 
• Academic transcript and/or degree certificate, certified transcript.  

Please note that all information and documents supplied must be in English. 

The deadline for applying to UI is 17 May 2025. 

You will be informed within a few days whether UI plans to nominate you. If you are nominated by UI, you may then submit a formal online application to EPO or EUIPO. UI will send the institutions a list of nominated students by 28 February. 

Students are encouraged to explore the possibility of an Erasmus+ grant to cover travel and maintenance costs. 

Please note that you must first apply to UI (see above) and only those nominated by UI can apply for the traineeship. Students nominated by UI can apply online through the relevant institution’s website.  

EPO is the second largest public service organisation in Europe with over 7,000 employees from more than 30 countries. The EPO headquarters are located in Munich but there are also offices in The Hague, Berlin, Venice and Brussels. EPO primarily works with patents.  

The traineeship is twelve months, starting in September, and takes place in Munich. The pay is EUR 2000 per month (it is the employee’s responsibility to declare income for tax purposes in their home country). Income is declared as foreign income (item 2.8 on the income page of the tax return) and tax is calculated in the assessment. If you receive additional financial support during the traineeship you must also declare this. You can request a single payment of EUR 250 for the move at the start and end of the traineeship period.  

EPO accepts traineeship applications from 15 February to 15 March 2025 

Here is a link to the EPO information page about the traineeship programme: Pan-European Seal Professional Traineeship Programme - EPO  

Your application to EPO must include the same supporting documents as you submitted in your application to UI. Though not mandatory, it could strengthen applications to include a formal confirmation of language skills from a learning institution as well as a letter of recommendation from a teacher or former employer in the relevant field.  

Though not mandatory, it could strengthen applications to include a formal confirmation of language skills from a learning institution as well as a letter of recommendation from a teacher or former employer in the relevant field.   

Nominated applicants must complete the following online courses from the European Patent Academy before the traineeship starts: 

•  Introduction to the European patent system (required for all applicants) 
•  Using CPC (required for students in engineering and science)  
•  The EPO as PCT authority (required for all applicants without a background in engineering)

Please note that you must first apply to UI (see above) and only those nominated by UI can apply for the traineeship.  

EUIPO is the largest decentralised agency of the European Union, based in Alicante with around 1,200 employees. The EUIPO works in IP protection in all its forms.  

The traineeship is twelve months, starting in September, and takes place in Alicante. The pay is EUR 1200 per month (it is the employee’s responsibility to declare income for tax purposes in their home country). Income is declared as foreign income (item 2.8 on the income page of the tax return) and tax is calculated in the assessment. 

EUIPO accepts traineeship applications from 1 March to 31 March 2025 

Your application to EUIPO must include the same supporting documents as you submitted in your application to UI, as well as confirmation that you have completed one of the following online courses:   

• EUTM in a Nutshell  
• RCD in a Nutshell  

See here for further information about the online courses: 

Though not mandatory, it could strengthen applications to include a formal confirmation of language skills from a learning institution as well as a letter of recommendation from a teacher or former employer in the relevant field.  

The Office will not accept applications from candidates who have already  benefited or are benefiting from any kind of in-service traineeships (paid or unpaid) within a European institution, agency or body as listed on the Europa website, including any person who is or has been an assistant to a member of European Parliament, a contracted consultant or intra-muros researcher, an official, a temporary staff member, a contract staff member, an auxiliary staff member, a Seconded National Expert (SNE) or an interim staff member of any EU institution, agency, body, delegation or representative office, whatever the duration. 

Educational resources about IP rights 

Students and staff at member universities can access a huge amount of educational resources on IP rights. Resources could be anything from stand-alone events to full courses conferring a certificate.   

Short video about IP rights - The IP Link  

e-learning centre of the European Patent Academy 

Introduction to the European patent system   

Using CPC 

The EPO as PCT authority 

EUTM and RCD Learning Plan for University Students