In Spain, companies and inventors filed 2,111 European patent applications last year, an increase of almost 7% over the previous year, according to the latest Patent Index 2023 of the European Patent Office.
This indicator demonstrates the weight and importance of innovation in Spain. "The EPO has been tasked with examining more applications than ever before, which testifies to both the attractiveness of the European technology market and the high quality and reliability of European patents," explained EPO President Antonio Campinos in a press release.
By sector, the pharmaceutical sector is the leader in the ranking of patent applications, with a total of 189. However, there is a decrease of 2.1% compared to the previous year. As indicated in the press release, biotechnology is the sector that has grown the most with 6.1% compared to the previous year. Biosciences, which include pharmaceuticals, medical technology and biotechnology, continue to account for almost a quarter of all patent applications from Spain, according to the EPO's recent study. The chemical industry, including the cosmetics sector, has reported a significant growth of 41.5%.
Barcelona is the city that has applied for the most patents in 2023, reaching almost 350 European patent applications, while Madrid is in second place with 295. Catalonia is positioned among the top 20 regions of the European Union in patent applications at the EPO, specifically, it is in 18th place.