At the European Patent Office A total of 199,275 patent applications were filed at the European Patent Office (EPO) last year, representing an increase of 2.9 percent over the previous year. This continues the positive trend seen in 2021 (+4.7 percent) and 2022 (+2.6 percent).
Patent applications are an important early indicator of companies' investments in research and development. They also support the commercialization of inventions. Inventors and companies from Germany filed 24,966 patent applications with the EPO last year, 1.4 percent more than the previous year and the first increase after three years of stagnating filing volumes. Germany once again leads the European Union and remains second behind the United States in the global ranking of European patent applications. In 2023, approximately 12.5 percent of all applications filed with the EPO originated in Germany.
Low proportion of patent applications by women
Of the patent applications filed with the EPO from Germany last year, only 22 percent listed a woman as the inventor. This is the second-lowest proportion among the twelve major European patent-filing countries (with more than 2,000 applications per year). It is also below the average for the 39 EPO member states (27 percent). By technology sector, the frequency of female inventors listed across Europe ranged from 14 percent in mechanical engineering to 50 percent in chemistry. These data clearly demonstrate the large gaps that still need to be closed to fully exploit the potential of female inventors.
“Reviewing more patent applications than ever before”
EPO President Antonio Campinos comments on the current figures as follows:
"Our latest Patent Index shows that inventive activity remained high worldwide in 2023. The EPO was tasked with examining more patent applications than ever before. This underscores both the attractiveness of the European technology market and the high quality of our products and services. Small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe are increasingly using patents. Their share of applications reached its highest level ever last year. These companies can now also benefit from the newly created Unitary Patent. It has significantly improved the framework for innovation in Europe. It offers inventors a simpler and more cost-effective way to protect their inventions and introduce them to the large EU market."
Germany ranks second worldwide
The five countries with the most European patent applications last year were the United States, which accounted for 24 percent of total applications, Germany (12.8 percent), Japan (11 percent), China (10 percent), and the Republic of Korea (6 percent). The increase in patent applications last year was primarily due to continued strong growth from Korea (+21 percent year-on-year) and China (+8.8 percent compared to 2022).
The number of patent applications from the 39 member states of the European Patent Organization (85,748) increased slightly in 2023 (2022: 84,225, +1.8 percent) and represents 43 percent of the total filing volume at the EPO. 57 percent came from other regions, particularly Asia and the Americas.
Bavaria continues to lead the federal state ranking
Despite a 3.0 percent decline in applications compared to 2022, Bavaria once again topped the ranking of federal states. Thanks to strong growth (+12.4 percent year-on-year), Baden-Württemberg moved up to second place, while North Rhine-Westphalia (-5.7 percent year-on-year) now ranks third. These three federal states account for almost 70 percent of all German patent applications filed with the EPO. Rhineland-Palatinate follows in fourth place, followed by Hesse.
These five federal states are also represented in the top 10 regions with the highest number of patent applications within the 39 member states of the EPO. Munich confirms its leading position in the city rankings: With 3,441 patent applications, the Bavarian capital received the most patent applications in Europe. In a global comparison, Munich ranks sixth. Ludwigshafen am Rhein (1,259 patent applications) and Stuttgart (1,133 patent applications) also occupy top positions in both rankings.
High acceptance of the unitary patent
Since June 1, 2023, inventors have been able to use the Unitary Patent System. This provides them with a cost-effective option for patent protection in the currently 17 EU member states where the European Unitary Patent with unitary effect applies. Legal recourse can be pursued before the newly created, central Unified Patent Court. Unitary protection was requested from the EPO for 17.5 percent of all European patents granted in 2023 (a total of over 18,300 applications) – and even for 22.3 percent of all patents granted in the second half of 2023 after the system's launch.
In Germany, the acceptance rate was 22.9 percent (just below the average of 25.8 percent for the 39 EPO member states). Patent holders from Germany filed over 3,400 applications for unitary protection for Patentsthat were granted last year.
