Record number of European patent applications comes from Flanders

According to the Patent Index published this Tuesday by the European Patent Office (EPO), Belgium-based innovators filed 2,485 applications – the highest number to date. Belgium is in the top-10 position in Europe, only behind Germany, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Italy and Denmark.

The number of patent applications from Belgian companies, universities and research institutions at the European Patent Office (EPO) increased by 3.3% in 2021 after a slight decrease in 2020 (-0.7%). 

Despite (or thanks) Covid-19 pandemic, the three Belgian sectors that filed the most applications with the EPO in 2021 are in the Healthcare sector: biotechnologies, pharmaceuticals, and medical technologies.

The number of patent applications in the pharmaceutical field rose 34.3%, the most important Belgian technology domain in number of applications (from 4th to 1st place). Biotechnology comes second, followed by medical technology. 

Moreover, strong growth was noted in the fields of raw materials/metallurgy (+51.7%), transport (+26.2%) and semiconductors (+25.9%). 

Top patent region

When it comes to patents, Flanders ranked among the ten most active European regions. The Belgian north region filed 1,613 applications and a 65% share of total Belgian patent applications, ahead of Wallonia (19.8%) and Brussels (15.3%). 

Among the Belgian provinces, Antwerp took over the leading position from Flemish Brabant with 447 applications (+14.3%), increasing the share of the province in the total of Belgian applications to 18%.

Five of the ten largest Belgian applicants are universities and research institutes. The Belgian chemical group, Solvay, filed the highest number of requests to the EPO, with 276 patent applications. The microelectronics and nanotechnology center IMEC in Louvain follows with 140 requests; Umicore, 93 files; KULeuven, 90; ZF CV Systems Europe, 85; University of Ghent, 66 and Agfa, 65. 

(VIV)

Header image: Employees are at work at a facility of world-leading research & innovation hub in semi-conductors and innovation technologies IMEC in Leuven on February 7, 2022. © Belga Photo (François WALSCHAERTS/ AFP)