Companies and inventors from all over the world filed 174,317 patent applications with the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2018, an increase of 4.6% compared to the previous year. The EPO also published 127 625 granted European patents last year, 21% more than in 2017 and the largest number to date. The rise in European patent applications highlights the global attractiveness of the European market and indicates a strong position for European companies operating in their home territory. Indeed, 47% of patent applications at the EPO last year came from firms based in the 38 EPO member states (Fig.: Origin of patent applications 2018). European companies were at the centre of the increase in patent applications, filing 3.8% more applications in 2018 – their highest growth since 2010. Firms from the 38 EPO member states were responsible for nearly 40% of the total growth registered at the EPO – more than China, Japan and the Republic of Korea combined. (Read more)