The Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC), a specialised institution for patent dispute resolution under the Unified Patent Court (UPC) framework, was officially launched on 2 June 2026 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The inauguration ceremony brought together representatives of the judiciary, the intellectual property community, alternative dispute resolution practitioners, industry representatives and institutional partners.

Operating from its two seats in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and Lisbon, Portugal, PMAC provides institutional support for resolving patent disputes under the the UPC, as well as disputes related to European Unitary Patents. By offering mediation, arbitration, expert determination, and hybrid dispute resolution, it delivers faster, more flexible, and highly specialised solutions for complex intellectual property disputes, reducing the need for lengthy court proceedings.

With a phased roll-out of services already underway, the establishment of PMAC marks a significant step in advancing the unitary patent system and strengthening the European intellectual property framework.