Patent and utility model applications increased in Spain in 2025, a figure that reflects not only greater innovation activity but also a growing focus on protecting technical developments. This is according to the annual report *The SPTO in Figures 2025*, published by the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office, which analyzes the trends in the main types of industrial property each year.
Specifically, patent applications increased by 12.1% compared to the previous year, reaching 1,450 applications. Meanwhile, utility model applications rose by 8.1%, with a total of 2,923 applications filed.
These figures show that companies, universities, research centers, and entrepreneurs are paying increasing attention to protecting their technical developments. This is because innovation involves protecting, defending, and turning those inventions into assets with business value.
Patent applications are on the rise in Spain, and utility models are gaining ground
In 2025, 1,450 patent applications were filed in Spain, including both national applications and international PCT applications that subsequently entered the national phase. This figure represents a 12.1% increase compared to 2024.
As for the number of European patent applications originating in Spain, there was also a slight increase, with 2,255 applications filed in 2025 compared to 2,192 in 2024.
Trends in National Patent Applications and PCT Applications in the National Phase Over the Past 10 Years
The growth in utility model applications is another key finding of the report. In 2025, 2,923 applications were filed, an increase of 8.1% over the previous year.
It is worth noting—contrary to the misconception that utility models are of “lesser value” than patents—that among the leading applicants for utility models in Spain are large multinational corporations and cutting-edge technology companies. This reflects the vital importance of utility models within companies’ portfolios of intangible assets.
Trends in applications for national utility models and PCT applications in the national phase over the past 10 years.
Madrid, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, and Andalusia lead the rankings for patents and utility models
The SPTO report shows a clear concentration of innovation activity in certain autonomous communities.
In terms of patent applications, the Community of Madrid tops the list, followed by Catalonia, the Valencian Community, and Andalusia. Together, these four regions account for 60.3% of all Spanish patent applications filed with the OEPM.
Distribution of National Patent Applications by Autonomous Community
The picture is very similar for utility models, though with some interesting nuances. Madrid, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, and Andalusia once again occupy the top positions and together account for 60% of the applications. However, Galicia ranks as the fifth region with the highest number of utility model applications, ahead of regions such as the Basque Country and Castile and León, which held higher positions in the patent rankings. This difference reflects how utility models can carry particular weight in certain industrial and business sectors, where applied technical improvements play a key role.
Inventions in the fields of electronics and electrical energy account for the largest number of patent applications
The SPTO report also provides an analysis of the sectors in which innovation is concentrated. In terms of patents, the subsectors with the greatest presence in 2025 were electronic devices, electronic engineering, and electrical power; other specialized machinery; and chemical engineering.
Beyond the overall picture, it is particularly interesting to see which sectors have gained ground compared to the previous year. In terms of patents, pharmaceuticals rose from 3.3% in 2024 to 4% in 2025, and medical technology from 4.9% to 5.2%, reflecting significant progress in a research-intensive sector. Sectors such as furniture and games also grew, as did chemical engineering, albeit slightly.
Major technical subsectors of patents published in 2025 and 2024
For utility models, the picture is somewhat different. The subsectors with the largest share in 2025 were furniture and games, civil engineering, other consumer products, and handling equipment. Furniture and games once again lead in applications and, furthermore, continue to grow: rising from 13.1% in 2024 to 13.9% in 2025. Civil engineering, other consumer products, handling equipment, other specialized machinery, and chemical engineering are also on the rise.
To better understand the nature of these inventions, it is worth taking a closer look at some of the categories included in the report. “Other consumer products” encompasses solutions applied to everyday objects, accessories, small devices, or products aimed at the end consumer that do not clearly fit into other, more specific categories. Meanwhile, “handling” refers to inventions related to the manipulation, transport, lifting, loading, unloading, or packaging of objects and materials, such as transport systems, packaging devices, lifting mechanisms, or solutions designed to facilitate logistics and industrial processes.
This development is consistent with the nature of the utility model, a form of protection that is particularly useful for safeguarding applied technical improvements, functional solutions, and developments related to products, devices, or mechanisms with a direct practical application.
Top Technical Subsectors in Utility Model Applications Published in 2025 and 2024
In short, the data from the report *The SPTO in Figures 2025* show a positive trend in innovation in Spain, reflected both in the increase in patent applications and in the growth in utility model applications.
Choosing the right form of protection is key. Not all inventions require the same strategy: in some cases, a patent will be the most appropriate option; in others, a utility model may offer protection that is more streamlined and better suited to the nature of the invention. However, there may also be technical assets or business know-how that are best protected through trade secrets or combined strategies.
Therefore, before protecting an invention, it is important to analyze the most appropriate strategy: whether to opt for a patent, a utility model, protection as a trade secret, or a combination of several approaches. The decision will depend on the nature of the invention, its stage of development, the markets in which the company intends to operate, and its business objectives.
All of the charts included in this article are taken from the report *The Spanish Patent and Trademark Office in Figures 2025*, published by the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office.
Bosco de la Vega, Senior Associate and European Patent Attorney at Elzaburu