Patent Index 2024

25th March 2025

News

Brevet

The Patent Index 2024, published today by the European Patent Office (EPO), shows that innovation has continued to flourish, with last year’s filings on the same high level as the number seen in 2023.

The EPO received 199 264 applications in 2024, at the same level as in 2023, attesting to the trust that users place in the high quality of their products and services. Patent applications in computer technology, which includes artificial intelligence, rose +3.3%, becoming the technology field with the most filings last year. The second biggest rise of any technology field was seen in electrical machinery apparatus, energy, which was up by +8.9% – this includes battery technologies. Strong growth was also seen in biotechnology (+5.4%) and transport (+3.5%).

This year’s Patent Index also looks at inventions by women. Of all the patent applications filed at the EPO by European applicants in 2024, 25% named at least one woman as an inventor. However, the rate varies significantly across countries and technologies.

Further, the new Unitary Patent system continues to prove popular with patent owners: unitary effect had been requested for 26.5% of all European patents granted in 2024 (more than 28 000 requests filed). Uptake by European proprietors was even higher, at 36.5% of all European patents granted in 2024.