EPO Publishes Patent Index 2024: Growth in Artificial Intelligence and Battery Technology Innovations

Today, the European Patent Office (EPO) released the Patent Index 2024, which shows that innovation remains strong, with patent applications last year keeping up the high level observed in 2023. Last year, companies and inventors globally filed patent applications with the EPO, maintaining levels similar to the previous year (-0.1%), after three years of notable growth. Patent applications from Europe, including all 39 EPO member states, increased by 0.3%, while those from outside Europe saw a slight decrease of -0.4%.

For the first time, computer technology, encompassing areas like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and pattern recognition, emerged as the leading field, with 16,815 patent applications filed in 2024.

The United States remained the leading country of origin for European patent applications, followed by Germany, Japan, the People's Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea. EPO member states contributed to 43% of the filings, with 57% coming from outside Europe. Germany (+0.4%) and France (+1.1%), the top two filing countries in Europe, showed modest increases in 2024. Among the larger filing countries (with over 5,000 applications), Switzerland (+3.2%) and the UK (+3.1%) experienced the strongest growth.

Unitary protection was requested for 25.6% of all European patents granted by the EPO in 2024, totalling over 28 000 requests – a 53% increase compared to 2023 (18 300 requests).