There has been an increase in the number of firms and inventors from the UK applying for patents from the European Patent Office (EPO). In fact, the latest figures show that applications were up by 7.8 per cent in 2018 compared to a year earlier.
The Cambridge Network also revealed which areas the UK is filing for the most patents in, with organic fine chemistry among them.
According to the news provider, there were 15.8 per cent more applications in this field in 2018 than in 2017. This now makes it number three on the list of fields when it comes to the volume of patent applications from the UK.
Medical technology took the top spot, with computer technology in at number two.
Overall, the total number of patent applications filed with the EPO from all countries and across all sectors was up by 4.6 per cent in 2018.
Almost half (47 per cent) of all the applications originated in the 38 EU member states last year, with the US the top single country of origin, accounting for 25 per cent of all filings with the EPO.
Germany accounts for the second-most patent applications, with 15 per cent coming from this nation, followed by Japan with a 13 per cent share. The UK accounts for just three per cent of patent applications at the EPO.
Antonio Campinos, EPO president, said that the figures are a positive sign for businesses and the European economy. “Demand for patent protection continues to grow, which means inventors and businesses see Europe as an attractive and valuable technology market to innovate and invest,” he asserted.
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