Universo PI - Reshaping Progress: Europe’s Path in the Age of Technology

The "Universo PI" section, which we launched on LinkedIn to mark the 48th anniversary of INPI in 2024, features in this edition the testimony of António Campinos, President of the European Patent Office (EPO).

Portugal, once known for explorers sailing the world, is today navigating a different course; one defined by technology. The Portuguese spirit of discovery persists with a growing share of European patent filings over the past decade, increasing by nearly 5% from 2023 to 2024 alone. Ranked among the top 20 countries best prepared for the energy transition, our nation is using more than Atlantic winds to move itself forward; it is looking to its innovators, incentives, and infrastructure. Europe’s biggest tech gathering, Web Summit, attracts enthusiasts every year; Tech Visa draws in global talent from abroad; Unicorn Factory Lisboa supports startups and scaleups to innovate and grow, and Portuguese women inventors are filing patents at nearly twice the European average, which is certainly a leap in a field largely dominated by men. 

Technology has crept in powerfully since my days as President of INPI 20 years ago, driving industries into a constant state of progress. Some call it the Fourth Industrial Revolution, but it feels much bigger than that, more of an evolution or a continual rewrite of our shared progress. It’s Schumpeter’s creative destruction in action, where the old is dismantled to make way for the new. And as we step further into an age of AI, we find ourselves writing another chapter - one where the boundary between human and machine is becoming increasingly blurred. Yet, for all this progress, one important question hangs in the air – does Europe have a hand in shaping the future narrative? 

A continent of creators, a crossroad of challenges 

Technology is the foundation on which European progress is built, with much of its impact attributed to patents. They are a central part of progress, turning invention into growth, giving investors the confidence to back R&D, as well as opening avenues for licensing, tech transfers, and partnerships. Portugal sees 15% of its GDP tied to patent-intensive industries, and European startups with patents and trademarks are 10 times more likely to secure early-stage funding. 

However, the same foundation of European progress is cracking under the weight of complexity, overregulation, and fragmented investment. Mario Draghi’s report to the European Commission sounded the alarm: Europe is unable to translate invention into market success. While more startups are born in Europe than in the US, bright ideas are migrating abroad to scale up. Although venture capital investment in Portugal increased by an impressive 147% last year, the story of technologies bypassing Europe remains all too familiar. For instance, Talkdesk, a Portuguese startup, uprooted to San Francisco chasing venture capital and the scale to thrive. 

There also exists a persistent gap between research and reality. While Europe holds a substantial share of global patents, an incredible two-thirds of university inventions stay on the shelf rather than work their way onto the market. In Portugal, many patents are driven by universities and research centres, but without the right commercial frameworks, these breakthroughs risk becoming little more than academic exercises - brilliant on paper, but stranded in practice.

Although the specifics of these challenges vary from country to country, the core needs are universal: as technology grows sharper, the innovation ecosystem must grow smarter, asking not just what it can do, but what it should do. 

From patents to progress 

Some of the answers lie in expanding knowledge, accessibility, and cross-border cooperation, moving towards a system that is more insightful, inclusive, but above all, impactful. This means rethinking how patents can support a 360-degree approach that fuels invention from spark to scale; one that embraces a broader societal responsibility for driving competitive and sustainable progress.

Firstly, progress needs to be backed by a solid understanding. The EPO’s latest Patent Index transforms data into direction, providing granular-level knowledge of the risks and opportunities in Europe’s competitiveness, to ultimately steer capital to the right industries and innovators. Last year, Portugal’s top patent filings were in computer technology, which includes artificial intelligence. However, if we widen the lens to the overall global trend, a different picture emerges. Across the continent, European invention is losing ground in computer technology while the US, China and the Republic of Korea sprint ahead. 

Technological progress, however, is not just about what we know, but also who can tap into this information, and how swiftly they can act. That’s why another key step in this journey is democratising access to knowledge. The EPO holds the world’s largest collection of patent data - the fuel driving the race for new technologies. Yet, this race slows when data is buried in the noise of complex, technical language. It makes sense that everyone – policymakers, investors, researchers – has the opportunity to engage with it. That’s why the EPO is on a mission to redesign its data into intelligible insight to invite a far more diverse set of minds into the world of invention to help tackle the toughest challenges. 

For instance, one of the EPO’s Technology Platforms presents key data on firefighting-related inventions in a digestible and accessible way to help spot market gaps and tailor new solutions to our wildfires – an urgent climate cry felt in Portugal and beyond. This means you do not need to be a classification expert to pinpoint the right technology. Across five other critical domains - from cancer treatment to clean energy – our technology platforms are breaking down complexity to ultimately democratise discovery. 

We are also leveraging patent data to drive investment by creating a digital marketplace where offer meets demand and vice versa. The EPO is actively mapping specialised investors and connecting them with around 10,900 European startups, universities, and research centres through its Deep Tech Finder. For instance, we have already identified 70 startups, spinouts, and universities in Portugal with granted patents or pending applications. 

Also important for investment is the recent working agreement on search cooperation between the EPO and INPI, which allows Portuguese applicants to request EPO searches on their national search applications, thus providing comprehensive reports and expert opinions on patentability. Few patent offices offer such valuable insights, giving investors a glimpse of an invention’s market potential before a patent is granted. It’s a great tool for securing crucial funding, and with an 80% discount for SMEs, universities, and research centres, the door is wide open, making commercial opportunities more within reach. 

Scaling smarter – together 

To truly achieve sustainable progress, Europe needs to work together. The Unitary Patent is a great success story for aligning with the challenge of scaling innovation through cross-border cooperation. It has simplified the patent landscape by consolidating 18 fragmented markets into a single bloc, enabling one application, one single fee, and one cohesive legal framework. The beauty of this simplicity and potential to scale is that it amplifies impact. Since its launch, around 54,000 requests for unitary effect have been received, with around 74% of Portuguese applicants selecting it for their European-granted patents last year. In fact, Portuguese applicants lead the global ranking when it comes to registering the unitary effect of their granted European patents. At the same time, the Unitary Patent has become the natural choice for smaller entities, with more than 50% of the European SMEs opting for the unitary effect after a patent grant.

The Unified Patent Court has also seen more than 800 cases already filed, and Portugal is positioned to play a key role in this evolving unified patent landscape with a local division of the Unitary Patent already “called to serve” - and widely praised by the European patent community for its efficient handling of the case at hand. Moreover, the central role of Portugal in setting up a comprehensive and responsive Unitary Patent system is exemplified by the fact that Lisbon, together with Lubljana, is the host of the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (PMAC) of the Unified Patent Court.

All this reinforces the idea that European invention should by no means be a fragmented journey walked alone. It is strongest when we step forward together. Our European Patent Network - the largest of its kind in the patent world - stands as proof of that truth, fostering a cross-border, multilateral network of cooperation to fuel technological progress. INPI has been a key partner to the EPO throughout this journey, with 33 years of solid cooperation. Now, with the urgent need to scale breakthroughs and bring them faster to market, we need to keep pushing the envelope – not just to preserve the patent system, but to develop it for years to come, so that the next chapter of technology is not only invented in Europe but scaled and commercialised here as well. 

António Campinos, President 
European Patent Office (EPO)