Joint Report Published by the EPO & EUIPO: IPR-intensive Industries and Economic Performance in the EU

Together with the European Patent Office (EPO), the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has published the fourth edition of “IPR-intensive industries and economic performance in the European Union” which assesses the value of intellectual property (IP) for the European Union (EU) economy.

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) intensive industries are defined as those having an above-average ownership of IPRs per employee, as compared with other IPR-using industries. IPR-intensive industries are the backbone of the EU single market, responsible for more than 75 % of trade within the EU.

The main findings of the study shows that companies with a high number of IPRs generate almost 4 in 10 jobs in the Member States and pay higher salaries with a wage premium of 41% over other industries. IPR-intensive industries also generate more than 47% of total economic activity (GDP) in the EU, worth €6.4 trillion.