Biotechnology rises to second place in european patent applications in 2024

The European Patent Office (EPO) recently published data on patent applications filed globally in 2024. The report reveals that Spanish companies and inventors set a new record, submitting 2,192 applications to the EPO that year—an increase of 3% compared to the previous year.

Spain’s overall performance is very positive, not only ranking above the European average (10th in Europe and 16th worldwide) but also showing a 43.5% increase compared to a decade ago.

Regarding sector rankings, medical technology and biotechnology shared second place, with a total of 163 patent applications each, marking an 8.7% growth for biotechnology.

The life sciences sector, which includes these three fields, continues to account for nearly a quarter of all European patent applications originating from Spain.

Women’s Participation in Patent Applications

Spain leads Europe in the percentage of female inventors named in patent applications submitted to the EPO. Specifically, 42% of European patent applications from Spain in 2024 included at least one female inventor—higher than Belgium (32%) and France (31%).

The Importance of Protecting Innovation

At AseBio, we are highly aware that protecting innovation is crucial for innovative entities, ensuring their ability to capitalize on their inventions. Additionally, it fosters technological advancements, promotes collaboration between public and private entities on equal terms, and enhances investor interest. This is why we conduct an annual analysis of how our sector protects its innovation, which is included in our AseBio Report.

Spanish Biotechnology Patents in Europe and Internationally

Aligned with the EPO’s published results, our report highlights that the Spanish biotechnology sector patents both in Europe and internationally. In 2023, 479 patent applications and 121 patent grants were recorded in Spain. Biotechnology patents with Spanish priority or those involving Spanish agents and clients were identified across various patent offices (OEPM, EPO, USPTO, JPO, and WIPO).

The sector continues to prioritize protecting its innovations mainly through the European Patent Office (EPO) and international PCT patents. The majority opted to safeguard their innovations in Europe, with 225 patents, and 166 via PCT, while 53 patents were filed with the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office.

The highest percentage of biotechnology sector patents were filed through the European Patent Office, accounting for 47% of the patents filed in 2023—an increase compared to 2022. Meanwhile, 35% were protected via PCT, 11% through the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office, 6% through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and 1% through the Japan Patent Office.

Joint Patent Ownership Leads the Sector

According to the data, joint ownership remains the primary method for patenting, with 216 applications and 51 grants—an increase from the previous year, continuing as the most common ownership model in the biotechnology sector. This is followed by patents owned by a single company (144 applications and 28 grants) and, at a greater distance, universities, with 54 applications and 26 grants.