EUROPE
March 28, 2025
The reality is that more and more Spanish companies and inventors are realizing the need to protect their inventions through Industrial Property rights. This is demonstrated by the recently published Patent Index 2024, according to which Spain has experienced a remarkable growth in the number of European patent applications, reaching a cumulative increase of 44% over the last decade, with Spain experiencing the highest growth in Europe.
How many patents did Spanish companies and inventors file in 2024?
Specifically, Spanish companies and inventors filed a total of 2,192 European patent applications in 2024, an increase of 3% compared to 2023 (2,129) and 10% compared to 2022 (1,974).
Which sectors filed the most patents in 2024?
The pharmaceutical sector filed the highest number of European patent applications in 2024 (10.1% of the total), followed by the medical technology field (7.4%), biotechnology (7.4%) and the transport sector (6.8%).
If we talk about the European scenario (EPO member states), patent applications in 2024 were 86,296, which is an increase of almost 12% compared to 2015 (76,194) patents, but only 0.03% compared to 2023, when 86,060 applications were filed.
Globally, companies and inventors worldwide filed 199,264 European patent applications during 2024, up from 160,004 in 2015 (an increase of 20% over the last decade). In 2023, 199,452 were filed, showing a slight decrease in the number of applications in 2024.
Which companies have filed the most patents in 2024?
In terms of the world's top companies filing European patent applications in 2024, Samsung, Huawei, LG, Qualcomm, RTX, Siemens, BASF, Ericsson, Sony and Robert Bosch stand out.
In the case of European companies belonging to EPO member countries, the top European patent applicants include companies such as Siemens, BASF, Ericsson, Robert Bosch, Philips, Nokia, Signify, Hoffman-La Roche, Volvo Group and British American Tobacco.
In terms of Spanish companies, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) is in first place, followed by Amadeus, Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation, Autotech Engineering, Telefónica, Horse Powertrai Solutions, Ficosa Automotivve, Multiverse Computing, the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and the University of the Basque Country.
Which countries have filed the most patents in 2024?
Applicants from the United States, with 47,787 European patent applications, maintain their leadership, followed by applicants from Germany (25,033) Japan (21,062) China (20,081) and the Republic of Korea (13,107), while applicants from Spain are in 15th place (2,192).
SMEs and individual inventors are becoming more and more aware
Another interesting finding of the Patent Index 2024 is the remarkable and exponential interest of European SMEs and individual inventors in protecting their innovations, with both accounting for 22% of all European patent applications (the rest of the total is made up of universities and public bodies, with 7%, and large companies, with 71%).
The Unitary Patent gains prominence in 2024
The above-mentioned index shows that the Unitary Patent system (which allows protection to be obtained in 18 EU Member States through a single request to the EPO) continues to gain prominence.
In 2024, unitary protection was requested for 25.6% of all patents granted by the EPO.
Spanish patent holders (despite the fact that Spain is not currently a member of the Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court system) requested Unitary Patent protection for 50.7% of their granted European patents.
Do you want to protect an invention?
At UNGRIA, we have a technical team that can advise you on the types of protection available for your specific case and accompany you during the research, application, prosecution and monitoring process.
Do you think you can patent an invention? Contact our expert patent team for more information.