New EPO Study: Innovation in Water-Related Technologies

Water is one of our most precious resources. Yet under the increasing impact of climate change, society now faces major challenges not only in terms of water supply, but also of flooding. 

According to the United Nations (2024), as of 2022, 2.2 billion people did not have access to safely managed drinking water, and 3.5 billion lacked safely managed sanitation services. If current trends continue, the situation is expected to deteriorate significantly by 2050. Moreover, droughts and floods consistently result in fatalities, cause billions in economic losses annually, and impact hundreds of millions of people.

European Patent Office (EPO) has recently published a new study “Innovation in water-related technologies” that provides insights into trends in innovation in water-related technologies, aimed at both water provision and protection. The study relies on patent information to provide insights into trends in innovation in water-related technologies aimed at addressing these critical challenges.

Although still a relatively small field, innovation is crucial and expanding, though not rapidly enough to tackle global water challenges. Europe is at the forefront of water-related innovation, with Spain showing particular specialisation. Additionally, universities and public research organizations (PROs) are catching up in a field that has traditionally been dominated by industry.