U.S. remains leading country of origin for European patent applications as China makes gains
The United States ranks first in European patent applications, followed by Germany, while China rises to third place ahead of Japan and the Republic of Korea The key sectors for the U.S. were medical technology, computer technology, digital communication and semiconductors Leading U.S. companies include Qualcomm, Microsoft, Alphabet, RTX and Interdigital Top states are California,…
The United States ranks first in European patent applications, followed by Germany, while China rises to third place ahead of Japan and the Republic of Korea
The key sectors for the U.S. were medical technology, computer technology, digital communication and semiconductors
Leading U.S. companies include Qualcomm, Microsoft, Alphabet, RTX and Interdigital
Top states are California, Massachusetts, Texas, New York, Minnesota
Global innovation remains robust: for the first time patent applications at the European Patent Office (EPO) exceed 200,000
Digital technologies post biggest growth at the EPO, driven by the global race to advance 6G and AI
MUNICH, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Companies and inventors from around the world filed a record 201 974 patent applications last year at the European Patent Office (EPO), according to the EPO Technology Dashboard 2025 (formerly Patent Index) published today. The U.S. maintained its position as the top country of origin for European patent applications, followed by Germany, China, Japan and Republic of Korea, with China rising to third place after a strong increase (+9.7%) in filings. American innovators filed 47,008 applications, a dip of -1.6% compared to 2024.
Overall, patent filings increased by 1.4% at the EPO in 2025, marking a return to steady growth. Applications from Europe, including all 39 EPO member states, rose by 0.4% (EU27: +0.7%), while those from outside Europe were up 2.1%. Patent applications are an early indicator of R&D investment.
U.S. Top Fields of Technology: Increase in Computers, led by AI
The leading fields of technology for U.S. applicants at the EPO reflect significant strengths in various high-growth industries. The top five in 2025 were:
Medical technology: top field with 6,313 applications, reflecting continued investment in healthcare innovation with a 5.3% increase over 2024
Computer technology: with 6,107 applications, an increase of 5.7% applications from the U.S. This sector includes AI-related inventions, where the US posted the highest growth of all major patent filing countries (2025: 799 applications; 2024: 632, +26.4%).
Digital communication: which includes inventions related to mobile networks, accounted for 4,844 applications, with an increase of 4.7%. This was the fastest-growing of the leading fields overall the EPO in 2025, driven by the global race to develop 6G technologies.
Biotechnology: with 2,779 applications, saw a notable decrease (-9.0%).
Pharmaceuticals: with 2,772 applications, also posted a drop (-10.3%).
U.S. Tech Companies Remain Steady
Five of the top 20 patent applicants at the EPO are U.S.-based. They include semiconductor manufacturer Qualcomm (with 2,939 patent applications, ranking 4th globally), Microsoft (with 1,363 applications and 20% growth moving up to 9th), Alphabet (1,302 applications), aerospace and defence company RTX (1,288 applications), and InterDigital (988). U.S. companies are also ranked high in in several top technology fields at the EPO and in smaller but strategic sectors such as AI (with Alphabet, Microsoft and Qualcomm ranked 1st, 4th and 5th) and semiconductors (with Intel ranked 2nd).
U.S. Life Sciences Industries Experience a Drop in Patent Filings
While medical technology was up 1.3%, some life-science related sectors declined, including pharmaceuticals (-10.3%) and biotechnology (-9.0%).
Overall, in 2025, the top three fields for patent applications at the EPO were computer technology, digital communication, and electrical machinery, apparatus and energy. The US held the largest share of applications in the first two fields, while European countries led in the latter. The latter field also includes the fast-growing area of battery technologies, dominated by companies from the Republic of Korea, China and Japan.
Top U.S. States Driving Innovation
Once again, California led the country’s states in patent applications with 15,655, making up a third (33.3%) of all applications from the U.S. This state accounts for nearly as many applications as China (20,081) and more than Republic of Korea (13,107) and France (10,980). The states following but separated by a significant margin are Massachusetts with 6.9% of total applications and Texas with 4.9%. New York and Minnesota round out the top 5.
UC Leads EPO University Applicant Ranking
The excellence of U.S. research is also evidenced in the EPO ranking of universities by European patent applications. Eight of the leading 20 educational institutes are U.S.-based in 2025, with University of California topping the list.
Unitary Patent Gaining in Popularity Among US Patentees
The Unitary Patent system, launched in 2023, continues to gain momentum, offering innovators simpler and more cost-effective patent protection in Europe across 18 EU Member States with a single request to the EPO. Patentees from the U.S. requested unitary protection for 19.7% of their European patents in 2025, which was a significant increase compared to 2024 (16.0%). The top requestors for Unitary Patents in 2025 were Samsung, Siemens, Johnson & Johnson, Qualcomm and Ericsson.
Quote from EPO President António Campinos:
“The record volume of patent applications underlines Europe’s innovative capacity and its appeal as a global technology market. The Technology Dashboard 2025 tracks progress and gaps across industrial sectors, helping policymakers in Europe identify priority areas and target actions and investments to strengthen tech sovereignty and competitiveness. While the Unitary Patent is already removing barriers and accelerating the transition to a more integrated European innovation market, continued focus is needed, especially on strategic sectors such as AI, semiconductors, health and quantum technologies.”
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About the EPO
With 6 300 staff members, the European Patent Office (EPO) is one of the largest public service institutions in Europe. Headquartered in Munich with offices in Berlin, Brussels, The Hague and Vienna, the EPO was founded with the aim of strengthening co-operation on patents in Europe. Through the EPO’s centralised patent granting procedure, inventors are able to obtain high-quality patent protection in up to 46 countries, covering a market of some 700 million people. The EPO is also the world’s leading authority in patent information and patent searching.
About the EPO Technology Dashboard
The EPO Technology Dashboard (the new name for the former annual Patent Index) is a tool for tracking global innovation trends, offering insights into European patent application activity across industries and regions. By analysing patent data, the dashboard serves as a barometer for technological progress, R&D investment, and competitiveness – helping businesses, policymakers, and researchers understand the changing dynamics of the current innovation landscape.
