La European Patent Office (EPO) has published his Technology Dashboard 2025 (formerly known as the Patent Index) and the data reflect a particularly significant scenario for European technological innovation. For the first time, European patent applications have exceeded 200.000 applications per year., confirming both the relevance of the European market and the growing strategic importance of certain technologies.
Beyond the figures, the report makes it possible to identify where global technological investments are heading, which sectors are currently concentrating the race to protect innovation, and what role Europe is playing in the face of the advance of powers such as China or South Korea.
What is the EPO Technology Dashboard 2025?
El EPO Technology Dashboard 2025 It is the annual report of the European Patent Office that analyzes the evolution of patent applications filed with the EPO by technology sectors, countries and applicant profiles.
Its usefulness goes beyond statistical tracking. The report also functions as a tool for Identify emerging technological trends, assess Europe's competitive position, and detect strategic areas where the protection of innovation is increasing more intensely.
En 2025 They registered 201.974 European patent applications, which is a 1,4% growth compared to the previous yearAlthough the increase may seem moderate, it gains relevance due to the current global context and the concentration of growth in particularly strategic technological sectors.
Record number of European patent applications
The most relevant finding of the report is that the demand for technological protection in Europe It continues to grow despite a complex international economic environment and the slowdown in some traditional markets.
Applications originating from European countries grew by 0,4%while those originating Outside of Europe they increased by 2,1%This confirms that Europe remains a priority market for global technology companies interested in protecting their developments through European patents.
The report also reflects a progressive change in the international innovation map. China For the first time, it ranks among the top three countries of origin for EPO applications, while South Korea It also registers significant growth (although it is not among the top 3 countries with the most applications).
This move is relevant from a strategic point of view: patent applications not only indicate innovative activitybut also the intention to compete commercially in certain markets.
The technologies that are leading growth
Although information technology remains the main area of activity, the report shows particularly strong growth in areas related to artificial intelligence, digital communications, batteries, energy and semiconductors.
Technology trends. Source: EPO Technology Dashboard 2025
AI and quantum technologies
La computer technology It again led patent applications in 2025, with 17.844 applications and a growth of 6,1%.
Within this sector, the artificial intelligenceIt stands out especially for the increase in requests related to neural networks and image recognitionwhich grew by 9,5%. The growth of the quantum technologies, still a minority in absolute terms, but with an increase of 37,9%.
One of the most relevant aspects of the report is that the European innovators maintain the largest share of applications precisely in these two areas: artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.
Thus, from a strategic perspective, the report reflects that Europe retains a relevant position in advanced research and emerging technologies of high complexity.
Digital communications and 6G
digital communications were the second most active technological field and the one that registered the greatest growth among the leading areas, with a del% increase 11,4.
The drive is primarily driven by the development of technologies linked to 6G and future connectivity infrastructures.
In this area, they particularly stand out. South Korea, China and the United States, although Europe It also registered a significant growth of 23,5% in applications.
The presence of companies such as Samsung, Huawei, Nokia or Ericsson The number of applicants confirms that the race for future communications networks continues to be one of the major focuses of global technological competition.
Top 10 patent applicants. Source: EPO Technology Dashboard 2025
Batteries, energy and semiconductors
The area of Electrical machinery, appliances and energy reached 16.997 requests, driven especially by the battery technologies, which grew by 14,6%.
The data reflects how the energy transition and industrial electrification are having a direct impact on patenting activity. Batteries already account for 45,1% of registrations in this technological field.
Here, Asian prominence is especially visible. Japan, China and South Korea They recorded very high increases in applications related to this industry.
For its part, the technology of semiconductors It grew by 7,6%, with European applicants maintaining the largest global share.
The importance of this sector goes far beyond the numbers. Semiconductors have become a strategic issue for Europe's industrial and technological autonomy, especially after the recent challenges in supply chains.
Which countries are driving innovation
El European growth was unequalWhile some traditionally leading countries slightly reduced their applications, other markets registered significant progress.
Spain increased its European patent applications by 2,9%., placing it among the European countries with positive evolution during 2025. Denmark, Austria and especially Finland also stood out.
In contrast, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom experienced slight declines.
Another particularly relevant piece of information for Spain leads in the presence of female inventors42% of Spanish applications to the EPO included at least one female inventor, the highest percentage among the main European applicant countries.
Country of origin of patent applications. Source: EPO Technology Dashboard 2025
The growing role of China and South Korea
China increased by 9,7% their European patent applications, which placed, for the first time, Japan in third place in terms of volume of applications to the EPO.
South Korea It also registered a remarkable growth of 9,5%, consolidating its weight in strategic sectors such as information technology, digital communications, electrical machinery and energy.
The evolution of both countries confirms that Global technological competition is no longer concentrated exclusively between Europe and the United StatesThe Asian ecosystem continues to strengthen its presence in both innovation and international protection of technological assets.
What are the implications of this scenario for innovative companies?
The Technology Dashboard 2025 shows that innovation protection is increasingly focusing on strategic and highly competitive technology sectors.
For companies, startups, and technology centers, this has several relevant implications.
On the one hand, the speed of development in areas like artificial intelligence, batteries, communications or semiconductors It increases the risk of industrial property conflicts and the need to design more sophisticated protection strategies.
On the other, the increased demand for critical technologies reflects that the patents continue to be a central instrument to ensure competitive position, attract investment and facilitate technological or commercial agreements.
It also highlights the importance of anticipate protection from early stages of developmentespecially in environments where patenting activity is growing rapidly.
Patents, technology and competitiveness: where is Europe headed?
The EPO Technology Dashboard 2025 confirms that Europe keeps a prominent position in technological innovationespecially in strategic areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, semiconductors or energy.
At the same time, the report reveals a increasingly intense international competition and a acceleration of patenting activity in sectors that are key to technological autonomy and industrial competitiveness.
In this context, the protection of innovation ceases to be merely a legal issue and becomes a strategic decisionHaving an appropriate policy of patents, technological surveillance And international protection is becoming increasingly relevant for companies, startups, universities and research centers that develop technology with a focus on growth in Europe.
En ELZABURU We support innovative companies and organizations in the design of technological protection strategies tailored to their business objectives, both in Europe and internationally.
