While the EPO received 180,250 patent applications in 2020, 0.7% fewer than in 2019, demand remained high, in some fields more than others.

The strongest growth was recorded in pharmaceuticals (+10.2%) and biotechnology (+6.3%), while medical technology recorded a +2.6% increase in inventions. The previous year, the strongest growing sectors were digital communications and computer technology. Transport showed the strongest decline at -5.5%, particularly in the sub-sectors of aviation and aerospace (-24.7%).

The EPO reported that Finland (+11.1%), France (+3.1%) and Italy (2.9%) bucked the sluggish trend for patent applications in Europe. Globally, the biggest countries for patent applications were the US, Germany and Japan, who occupied the top three spots, despite a decline in numbers. China, meanwhile, recorded a 10% increase.