The EPO’s Patent Index 2023, published today, shows that innovation remained robust, with companies and inventors filing a record number of European patent applications last year. Companies and inventors filed 199 275 patent applications at the EPO last year, an increase of 2.9% on the previous year and the highest number to date, according to the latest Patent Index 2023 published today. This follows growth of 2.6% in 2022 and 4.7% in 2021.
EPO`s Patent Index 2023 Infographics
Digital communication and energy technologies on the rise
The leading technical fields for patent applications at the EPO last year were digital communication (which covers technologies related to mobile networks), medical technology and computer technology. The strongest growth among all technology fields in 2023, however, was in electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (+12.2% over 2022), which covers inventions related to clean-energy technologies, including batteries (+28%). Patent activity in biotechnology (+5.9%) also continued to rise further.
Global and European trends
The top five countries of origin for European patent applications in 2023 were the United States, Germany, Japan, China and the Republic of Korea. Some 43% of the total applications came from companies and inventors from the EPO’s 39 member states, while 57% originated from outside Europe (see chart Origin of applications).
Finland, Spain, UK and Italy with strongest growth in Europe
While Germany, Europe’s leading country of origin, was back to growth (+1.4%) last year, French firms filed slightly fewer applications (-1.5%). Patent filings from most other European countries were up.
More inventions from China and Republic of Korea
The overall growth in patent applications at the EPO in 2023 was mainly fuelled by steep increases from the Republic of Korea (+21.0%) and the People’s Republic of China (+8.8% compared with 2022). The Republic of Korea entered the top five for the first time, while patent applications from China have more than doubled since 2018.
Spotlight on women inventors
This year’s Patent Index also looks at the contribution of women to innovation. For all patent applications filed with the EPO last year coming from Europe, 27% named at least one woman 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 share of patent applications naming at least one woman as inventor in 2023. In terms of technology sectors, the proportion ranged from 14% for patent applications in mechanical engineering to 50% in chemistry. This data can help in addressing the gaps that remain to be bridged to harness the full potential of women inventors.
Solid uptake of new Unitary Patent
Since 1 June 2023, innovators can also benefit from the Unitary Patent system – a new way to enjoy simpler and cheaper patent protection in 17 EU member states, in which a European patent has unitary legal effect and can be enforced or litigated before the new Unified Patent Court.