Remarkable trends in patenting: Belgian innovators are filing a record number of patent applications in Europe
The European Patent Office (EPO) has released its annual Patent Index, an in-depth analysis of the statistics and trends in patent filings at the EPO for the year 2022. The Patent Index can be read here.
Belgium enters the top 10 (9th position) of the ranking of EPO countries with the highest number of European patent applications filed in 2022, an increase of 5%, now for the second year in a row. European patent applications having Belgian applicants for specialised machinery increased by 52.4%, making this the new most important Belgian technology domain. In the fields of chemistry, pharma and biotechnology, Belgian applicants filed 1071 European patent applications, which is the highest number ever in these areas of technology. Notably these 3 fields are all related to the Health sector. Within the EU, Belgium is one of the innovation leaders in chemistry and life sciences. The top Belgian filers are Solvay, IMEC, KU Leuven and Umicore. Interestingly, five out of 10 applicants in Belgium are universities or research institutions.
(Origin: European Patent Office)
Although the corona pandemic and the global uncertainty changed our way of living, the volume of all patent applications filed with the EPO rose in 2022 by 2.5% (193 460 applications) – a new record.
(Graphic: Growth in patent applications)
For most countries of the world, patent applications filed in 2022 before the EPO have increased compared to 2021. However, filings from Chinese applicants have dramatically increased over the past decade, more than doubling in the past five years, while the percentage of patent applications from the EPO's 39 members slipped below 44% - a historic low figure. This decline in the European share is being compensated by an increase of European patent applications from the US (24.9%), South Korea (5.4%) and China (9.8%).
In 2022, there was a high degree of innovation in various areas of electrical engineering and ICT. Digital communication was the leading technology field, with a total of 16 700 applications, followed by medical technology with around 15 700 . Computer technology came in third with more than 15 000 filings. (Graphic: Trends in patenting)
(origin: European Patent Office)
Staggering growth of electrical machinery, apparatus and energy was seen, with an increase of more than 18% to nearly 14 000 - due in part to the rise in battery-centred developments. Meanwhile, audio-visual technology and semiconductor sectors experienced an expansion of one third and one half respectively compared to 2019.
Last year saw a slight increase of 1% in patent applications for medical technology and pharmaceuticals, while biotechnology saw a much more significant rise of 11%, its highest growth in five years, hinting at a pre-Covid revival. On the other hand, many of the smaller technology fields, such as chemistry and mechanical engineering, showed either weak growth or a decrease in patent filings.
Four of the top ten companies applying for European patents are European: Royal Philips, BASF, Siemens, and Ericsson. Additionally, Sony from Japan, Raytheon Technologies and Qualcomm from the US, Samsung and LG from South Korea, and Huawei from China are amongst the largest applicants. Particularly, Huawei was the sole source of nearly one-fourth of all applications from China to the EPO in the past year.
Patents are not only of interest to large companies. A significant proportion of the European patent applications originate from smaller entities: in 2022 one in five patent applications filed at the EPO originating in Europe came from an individual inventor or a small or medium-sized enterprise (fewer than 250 employees). A further 7% came from universities and public research.
The data shows us that despite the ongoing challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, European patent filings surpassed pre-Covid levels in 2022: a positive sign of economic recovery and growth. Countries outside of Europe continue to have trust and confidence in the European patenting system; the increase in non-European applicants affirm the importance of the EPO both locally and worldwide. Finally, we are proud that Belgium continues to uphold its position as a major innovator in Europe, making significant contributions to the advancement of science, technology, and industry.
If you need assistance with protection of your innovation in Belgium, Europe or worldwide, reach out to our team at info@dcp-ip.com. We are ready to help!