European patent applications decrease yet numbers remain high

Patent applications originating in Portugal submitted to the European Patent Office (IEP) decreased during the pandemic period, however the total number remains the second highest ever recorded.

• Patent applications originating in Portugal from the European Patent Office decrease 8.5% in 2020
• The total number of patent applications originating in Portugal remain the second highest on record
• Strong increase in health care innovation
• Medical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology technology are taking the lead as regards registrations of inventions
• The Northern region increased the share of Portuguese patents to more than 50%

Patent applications originating in Portugal submitted to the European Patent Office (EPO) decreased 8.5% in 2020 during the pandemic, thus ending two consecutive years of sharp growth (+ 23.1% in 2019, +47.3 % in 2018), according to the 2020 Patent Index published today.

Last year, Portuguese companies, research institutes and universities submitted 249 patent applications to the European Patent Office (272 were filed in 2019), which remains the highest number ever registered, despite the decrease when compared to 2019. (Image: Growth of Portuguese patent applications submitted via EPO).

Many of the technological areas that have driven Portuguese innovation in the past have suffered a decrease in the number of patent applications in 2020, including the areas of “specialized machinery” (less 25% than in 2019), “computer technology” (-46.7 %) and, in particular, “furniture, games” (-61.1%).

At the same time, statistics indicate a strong investment as regards innovation in the health care area: the medical technology area - the one with the largest number of patent applications originating in Portugal in 2020 - grew by approximately 31.8% compared to the previous year; the pharmaceutical area (in second in the number of patent applications) increased 44.4%; and the biotechnology area, in the third place, with a growth of 21.4%.

"I am pleased to note that despite the decrease, the number of patent applications originating in Portugal remains relatively high. This shows that Portuguese innovation is now more stable than it was in the past," said EPO’s President, António Campinos. "The fact that there are several universities and research institutes among the main applicants is particularly promising. And although we cannot predict with certainty the evolution of patent applications in the coming months, or years, we know that research and science are the path to a healthier and more sustainable world, and that innovation, supported by a strong patent system, is the driver for recovery".

Demand for protection of patents via EPO remains stable

Overall, the number of patent applications via EPO remained stable in 2020, just 0.7% down on 2019, yet with substantial changes as regards technological sectors and regions. In total, the IEP received 180,250 applications, a number slightly below the record acheved in 2019 (181,532). (Please see image: Growth of European patent applications).

China and South Korea with a rapid growth; less applications from Europe

Chinese and South Korean applicants ranked the highest number of requests (+9,9% and +9.2% respectively). In contrast, USA applicants (who account for a quarter of the total applications via EPO) filed 4.1% less patent applications in 2020. Patent applications originating in Europe decreased by 1.3% compared to 2019, and applications originating in Japan decreased by 1.1%.

The number of applications among European countries diverged significantly: applications originating in Germany, the largest European patent applicant, decreased by 3.0% in 2020, while French and Italian inventors submitted more 3.1% and 2.9% applications, respectively. There was a decrease in patent applications originating in the Netherlands (-8.2%), in the United Kingdom (-6.8%) and in Spain (-5%)

Healthcare innovations soaring while transports decrease

Among the main technical areas, in general and in all countries, pharmaceuticals (+10.2%) and biotechnology (+6.3%) surged the most in terms of patent applications. Medical technology (+2.6%) was the area that registered the largest number of inventions in 2020, thus regaining the leadership that in 2019 belonged to digital communication. The transport area was the one that recorded the biggest drop (-5.5%).

University of Minho leads the Portuguese ranking

The University of Minho registered the largest number of patent applications among Portuguese applicants, with 20 patent applications via EPO in 2020. The next positions were occupied by A4TEC (Association for the Advancement of Tissue Engineering and Cell Based Technologies & Therapies) with 14 patent applications, INESC Porto (Institute of Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science) with 12 patent applications, Saronikos Trading and Services with 7 patent applications and the University of Évora, also with 7 applications. Contrasting to most European countries, the top five of Portuguese applicants include four research laboratories and academic institutions. (Image: Top of Portuguese applicants via EPO - 2020 – in Portuguese). These data emphasise the relevance of European patents in protecting investments in Research and Development (R&D) made by academic institutions.

Northern region with more than half of the Portuguese patent applications

The North region leads once again the regional ranking with a share of 56.2% of the total number of applications (an increase regarding the 46% of 2019, followed by Lisbon (16.1% compared to the 21.7% of 2019) and by the Central region (15.7% - a decrease comparing to the 16.5% of 2019).

For further statistics details, please consult EPO’s Patent Index 2020 at www.epo.org/patent-index2020.