Patent Index 2024: US Innovation Remains Strong Despite Global Economic Uncertainties

• U.S. ranks first in European patent applications, followed by Germany, Japan, China, and Republic of Korea 
• European Patent Office (EPO) received nearly 200,000 patent applications last year, with U.S. companies and inventors contributing nearly a quarter of those
• Key sectors for the U.S.: Medical technology, computer technology and digital

MUNICH and NEW YORK, March 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Companies and inventors from around the world filed 199,264 patent applications at the European Patent Office (EPO) last year, according to the Patent Index 2024 published today. The U.S. maintained its position as the top country of origin for European patent applications, followed by Germany, Japan, China, and the Republic of Korea. U.S. innovators filed 47,787 applications, accounting for 24% of the total at the EPO in 2024.

Overall, the high level of patenting activity at the EPO was on a par with the previous year (2023: 199 452, -0.1%), following three years of significant growth. Patent applications from Europe, including all 39 EPO member states, rose by 0.3%, while those from outside Europe fell slightly (-0.4%). Notably, R. Korea saw the strongest growth (+4.2%), China's growth slowed to +0.5%, while companies and inventors from the U.S. (-0.8%) and Japan (-2.4%) filed fewer applications.    

"Despite global uncertainties, U.S. companies and inventors continue to invest in research and development," said EPO President António Campinos. "The rapid rise of digital technologies and AI is spurring innovation across all sectors. In 2024, the U.S. was one of the main drivers in advancing computer technology to the top technology field at the EPO. This underscores Europe's significance as a key technology market for U.S. companies, offering a high-quality patent system that supports the development of strong IP portfolios."

U.S. Top Fields of Technology: Surge 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 three in 2024 were:

1. Medical technology: top field with 5,995 applications, reflecting continued investment in healthcare innovation, although it experienced a slight decrease of 2.9% compared to 2023.
2. Computer technology: with 5,776 applications, this field saw a significant increase of +11.4% from the U.S. Growth from the U.S. was even higher (+20%) in AI-related fields such as machine learning and pattern recognition.
3. Digital communication: which includes inventions related to mobile networks, accounted for 4,628 applications, but experienced a decrease of 4.8%.

U.S. Tech Companies Lead Innovation Push
Out of all global applicants, six of the top 20 businesses with most applications at the EPO are U.S.-based. They include: semiconductor manufacturer Qualcomm (with 3,015 patent applications, ranking 4^th globally), aerospace and defence company RTX (2,061 applications), Alphabet (1,171), Microsoft (1,131), InterDigital (863), and Apple (806).

Samsung back at No. 1 in EPO Applicant Ranking
Samsung was the leading filer of patent applications at the EPO overall in 2024 (having last topped the ranking in 2020), Huawei dropped to second, followed by LG, Qualcomm and RTX.

Further information

• View the Patent Index 2024 in full

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SOURCE European Patent Office (EPO)