The European Patent Office (EPO) has released its 2024 edition of the "Patent Index" report. Looking at the latest numbers, companies and inventors around the world filed close to 200 thousand patent applications with the EPO in 2024, on part with 2023 numbers.
Theme-wise, "Computer technology", which includes technologies such as AI, was the leading field for the first time, with 16 815 patent applications in 2024 (+3.3% vs 2023). Others such as "Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy" saw the strongest growth last year (+8.9% vs 2023), driven by advances in clean energy technologies, particularly battery innovation (+24.0%).
Top European countries by number of patents are Germany, France, Switzerland, Netherlands and the UK. While large companies continue to be major contributors, in 2024, close to 30% of patent applications came from individual inventors, SMEs, universities and public research companies – this shows the way academia and startups can drive innovation. Overall, the numbers show that in spite of political and economic uncertainties, European companies continue their strong focus on R&D.
