Patent demand in Europe boosted by digital technologies and clean energies

"Our latest Patent Index shows that global invention activity remained high in 2023," says EPO President António Campinos. "The EPO has been tasked with examining more patent applications than ever before. This underlines both the attractiveness of the European technology market and the high quality of our products and services. Small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe are using patents more and more frequently. Their share of applications reached its highest level ever last year. These companies can now also benefit from the newly created unitary patent. It has significantly improved the framework conditions for innovation in Europe. It offers inventors an easier and more cost-effective way to protect their inventions and introduce them to the large EU market."

Significant increase in inventions in digital communication and energy technology

The technical fields with the most patent applications filed with the EPO last year were digital communication (including technologies for mobile phone networks), medical technology and computer technology.

However, the largest growth in 2023 was seen in the technology segment electrical machinery, equipment, energy (+12.2 % compared to 2022), which includes inventions relating to clean energy technologies including batteries (+28 %). Biotechnology also continued to record rising application figures (+5.9 %).

Application trends from Europe and worldwide

The five most active countries of origin of European patent applications in 2023 were the USA, Germany, Japan, China and the Republic of Korea. Around 43 % of all applications came from the 39 member states of the EPO, 57 % were non-European applications.

The number of patent applications from the member states also increased in 2023 and amounted to 85,748 (+1.8 %). European companies were particularly well represented in the segments of digital communication (+10.7 %), biotechnology (+6.4 %), computer technology (+4.2 %) and measurement technology (+4.0 %).

Finland, Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy as growth drivers in Europe

The number of patent applications from Germany, the country with the most applications in Europe, returned to growth at +1.4 %, while applications from France fell slightly year-on-year (-1.5 %). Patent applications from most other European countries increased. Among the European countries with high patent activity (more than 5,000 applications per year), Switzerland (+2.7 %), the Netherlands (+3.5 %), the United Kingdom (+4.2 %), Italy (+3.8 %) and Sweden (+2.0 %) recorded the highest increases. Among the European countries with more than 1,000 applications per year, Finland (+9.2 %) and Spain (+6.9 %) recorded the most significant increases. Switzerland again recorded the highest number of patent applications per capita, followed by several Nordic countries (see graphic Patent applications per million inhabitants).

Strong growth in patent applications from China and the Republic of Korea

The strong growth from the Republic of Korea (+21.0 % compared to 2022) and once again the People's Republic of China (+8.8 %) contributed significantly to the positive balance of applications. The Republic of Korea was represented in the top 5 for the first time, while patent applications from China have more than doubled since 2018.

Canada (+2.6 % compared to 2022), Brazil (+4.1 %), Chinese Taipei (+5.9 %), India (+8.4 %) and Singapore (+22.3 %) also showed significant growth in registrations, albeit at a lower level.

Huawei leads the ranking of patent applicants

Huawei remained the leading patent applicant at the EPO in 2023. With a significant increase to more than 5,000 applications, this company accounted for almost a quarter of all patent applications from China. Samsung and LG follow in second and third place, together accounting for two thirds of all European patent applications from the Republic of Korea. Qualcomm and Ericsson rank fourth and fifth respectively. The top 10 includes four companies from Europe, two from the Republic of Korea, two from the USA and one each from China and Japan.

Almost one in four patent applications in Europe filed by SMEs

Patents are also of strategic importance for smaller companies. In 2023, 23% of all patent applications from Europe were filed by individuals or small or medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 250 employees. A further 8 % came from universities and public research institutions (see graphic Applicants by category). As part of its ongoing support for smaller applicants, the EPO will reduce certain fees for micro-enterprises, individuals, non-profit organizations, universities and public research institutions as of 1 April 2024.

Focus on female inventors  

For the first time, this year's Patent Index also contains statistics on the contribution of women to technical innovations. In 27 % of all patent applications from Europe, at least one woman is named as an inventor. Among the larger European patent filing countries (with more than 2,000 applications per year), Spain (46 %), France (33 %) and Belgium (32 %) had the highest proportion of patent applications in which at least one woman was named as an inventor in 2023. In the individual fields of technology, the proportion ranged from 14 % for patent applications in mechanical engineering to 50 % in chemistry. The data clearly shows that more women should be supported in order to exploit the full potential of female inventors.

Great interest in the European unitary patent

Since June 1, 2023, inventors have been able to use the unitary patent system. This means they benefit from a cost-effective option for patent protection in currently 17 EU member states in which the European patent applies with unitary effect. Legal action can be taken before the newly created central Unified Patent Court. The new system is already enjoying a high level of acceptance among patent proprietors: applications for unitary protection were filed with the EPO for 17.5 % of all European patents granted in 2023 - and even for 22.3% of all patents granted in the second half of 2023 after the system was launched. In total, more than 18,300 such applications were filed. Patent proprietors from the 39 member states of the EPO showed the greatest interest with 25.8 %, followed by companies from the USA and China (10.9 %), the Republic of Korea (9.7 %) and Japan (4.9 %). Most applications in 2023 were filed by Johnson & Johnson, Siemens, Qualcomm, Samsung and Ericsson. Two thirds of the patent holders who had converted their European patent into a unitary patent came from Europe.

Source: www.epo.org