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The European Patent Office (EPO) Patent Index 2024 confirms Europe's strong commitment to innovation and knowledge transfer—despite economic uncertainty.
Highlights from the EPO report:
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Patent activity steady: 199,264 applications filed, almost unchanged from 2023. Applications from EPO states grew slightly (+0.3%).
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Europe’s contribution: European entities made up 43.3% of all applications. Top national growth:
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Ireland +4.4%
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Switzerland +3.2%
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UK +3.1%
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Spain +3.0%
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Finland +2.7%
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Top tech fields:
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Computer technology led with 16,815 applications (+3.3%)
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Energy & electrical machinery saw the fastest growth (+8.9%)
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Transport also grew (+3.5%)
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Leading applicants: Samsung topped the list, followed by Huawei, LG, Qualcomm, and RTX. Four of the top 10 are European.
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SMEs and public research: SMEs, universities, and public labs accounted for nearly 30% of filings from Europe.
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Gender in innovation: 25% of European applications included at least one woman inventor. Spain led with 42%.
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Unitary Patent adoption up: Over 28,000 requests in 2024—a 53% increase. SMEs and universities showed strong uptake (57.5%).