The Unitary Patent has surpassed 100,000 requests for unitary effect since the system began operating in June 2023. Beyond this numerical milestone, data from the EPO’s statistical dashboard allows us to observe how the use of this form of protection is evolving in Europe.
More than 100,000 requests for unitary effect since 2023
According to the EPO's Unitary Patent Panel, since the system was launched, the following applications have been filed (data as of August 26, 2026):
- 103,055 requests for unitary effect.
- 102,407 registered unitary patents.
- 100,287 unitary patents in force.
- 2,120 unitary patents that are no longer in force.
The figure of 100,000 already indicates a significant level of use of the system. But the most interesting indicator for understanding its evolution is likely the so-called “uptake rate”: the percentage of unitary requests relative to the number of European patents granted.
For the period from 2023 through August 2026, this rate stands at 25.3% globally, 35.6% among patent holders from EPO member states, and 36.3% among patent holders from the European Union.
How has the Unitary Patent evolved since 2023?
The annual trend shows an increase in both the number of requests and, in particular, the proportion of patent owners who choose to request unitary effect after a European patent has been granted.
| Year | Requests for Unitary Effect | Global uptake | Uptake of EPO Member States | Uptake: EU Headlines |
| 2023* | 17.251 | 17,5% | 25,8% | 26,3% |
| 2024 | 28.120 | 25,6% | 36,5% | 37,3% |
| 2025 | 33.331 | 28,7% | 40,0% | 40,7% |
| 2026** | 24.353 | 30,8% | 42,5% | 43,6% |
* The system began operating in June 2023.
** Data as of August 26, 2026.
Sources: EPO statistics for 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026.
The complete financial statements for 2024 and 2025 provide a particularly clear comparison: the number of petitions rose from 28,120 to 33,331, an increase of approximately 18.5%. In 2026, with several months still remaining before the end of the fiscal year, 24,353 petitions with unitary effect had already been filed.
But the growth in the uptake rate offers an even more significant insight. Among European Union member states, the rate rises from 26.3% during the initial period of 2023 to 43.6% in 2026. Among EPO member states, it rises from 25.8% to 42.5%.
In other words, the unit effect appears to be progressively being incorporated into protection strategies following the grant of a European patent.
However, these percentages should be interpreted with caution. The uptake rate compares applications for unitary effect with granted European patents and, therefore, does not allow us to conclude that the remaining percentage has necessarily opted for a specific strategy of national validations.
Among EU leaders, an increasingly prominent alternative
The fact that the uptake rate among European Union patent holders could reach 43.6% by 2026 highlights that the Unitary Patent has gained significant prominence in a relatively short period of time. But it also shows that strategies continue to vary.
The Unitary Patent allows for uniform protection across participating states and centralizes certain administrative procedures, including the payment of renewal fees. At the same time, it has specific characteristics that must be analyzed before opting for this route, such as the inability to opt out of individual territories during the patent’s term or the risk of potential centralized revocation by the Unified Patent Court.
Therefore, the growing use of the system does not eliminate the need to compare its implications with those of a country-by-country European patent validation strategy.
An increasingly international use
Another noticeable change in the statistics is the shift in the origin of the account holders.
During the first part of 2023, 66% of the applications came from applicants in EPO member states, while the United States accounted for 14.8% and China for 5.1%.
In 2026, EPO member states accounted for 55.7%, the United States accounted for 18.3%, and China accounted for 9.2%.
Country of Origin of Applications in 2023
Country of origin of applications in 2026
The figures therefore show a gradual geographic diversification among the system's users and a greater relative share of account holders from outside Europe.
Among the top applicants overall are European, U.S., and Asian companies from a wide range of industries, such as Samsung, Siemens, Johnson & Johnson, Qualcomm, Ericsson, and Huawei.
Top Companies Filing Applications in 2026
This international aspect is particularly important because the Unitary Patent is not merely a tool for European companies: it also plays a role in the territorial decisions that companies from third countries must make when they obtain a European patent.
What technologies does the Unitary Patent focus on?
The EPO's data also makes it possible to analyze the technology sectors to which the patents for which unitary effect has been requested belong.
Year-to-date as of 2023, the five areas with the highest number of applications are:
- Medical technology: 12,864 applications.
- Information Technology: 6,369.
- Digital communication: 5,937.
- Measurement: 5,719.
- Transportation: 5,341.
Technology Fields of the Applications (Cumulative from 2023 to 2026)
SMEs, universities, and large companies: Who uses the system?
Nor is the unitary patent a route used exclusively by large multinational corporations.
According to the profile of European patent applicants published by the EPO, large companies account for 59.1%, while small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individual inventors account for 34.4%. Universities and public research organizations account for 6.5%.
Profiles of the entities submitting applications (cumulative from 2023 to 2026)
The graph shows that the system is being used by organizations with different profiles and sizes, since the number of territories in which there is genuine commercial interest remains one of the key factors in deciding between a single-country approach and national validations.
Why is Spanish the primary language for translation?
The EPO panel data reveals another particularly striking finding: Spanish is the leading language for translations, with a total of 32,720 translations, ahead of English, with 24,503, and German, with 22,722.
This fact may seem paradoxical because Spain is not currently part of the Unitary Patent system. Therefore, requesting unitary effect does not provide protection through this system in Spain, where a European patent must still be validated separately if protection is to be obtained.
It is therefore important not to confuse the language used for translation during the proceedings with the territorial scope of the protection granted.
The Unitary Patent is taking hold, but the decision remains a strategic one
Exceeding 100,000 applications for unitary effect represents a significant milestone in the system’s evolution. Even more important is the fact that the adoption rate has risen steadily since 2023 and that the Unitary Patent is being used by patent holders from different countries, of varying sizes, and across different technology sectors.
Similarly, we must keep in mind that the decision to choose the unitary patent route or the validation system is one that must be determined on a patent-by-patent basis, taking into account the relevant markets, costs, exploitation strategy, necessary territorial flexibility, and potential defense or litigation scenarios.
At ELZABURU, we analyze each portfolio and each patent to determine the European protection strategy that best aligns with each company’s technological, commercial, and territorial objectives.
Mónica Amores, Partner at Elzaburu and Head of the Validation Department; and Ruth Sánchez, Partner at Elzaburu and Head of the Patent Department.