The number of UK patent applications filed with the European Patent Office (EPO) increased by 2.4% in 2017, reaching a total of 5,313 applications. This marks the fourth consecutive year of growth in UK patent applications to the EPO. Medical technology surpassed transport to become the top field of UK innovation, growing 7.1% compared to 2016. Overall, EPO received a record high of approximately 166,000 patent applications in 2017, up 3.9% from the previous year. The report signals positive news for continued growth of UK innovation in the future.

1. Dawn Ellmore reviews the increase in UK patent applications with the EPO
The number of UK businesses filing patent applications with the European Patent
Office (EPO) increased during 2017, according to a new report.
The recently published Annual Report 2017 from the EPO shows that there was a
2.4% increase in patent applications from businesses in the UK last year. This
equates to 5,313 patent applications compared with 5,188 in 2016.
Fourth year of growth
This is the fourth year that UK patent applications have risen, from 4,764 in 2014,
and is matching the upward trend across the EU which has an average increase of
2.6%. The UK is responsible for a 3% share of the total number of patent
applications in Europe and ranks ninth overall.
Patent applications are examined in minute detail by the EPO to ensure they meet all
the necessary requirements before they are granted. And this figure has grown as
well. The number of EPO patents granted to companies and inventors from the UK
increased in 2017 by 6.3% to 3,116
Overall figures up
The report shows that the EPO received approximately 166,000 patent applications
in total last year, which is a record high and up 3.9% on 2016. The countries with the
most applications were the United States, Germany, Japan, France and China.
China broke into the top five for the first time with a massive 16.6% increase in
patent applications, knocking Switzerland down the table. Japan is also showing

2. growth with an increase of 3.5% on last year following a few years of decline.
Similarly, the US had a 5.8% increase following a drop off in 2016.
South Korea is the exception to the general upward trend, with a fall in applications
during 2017 of 8.2% following two years of growth.
Most active UK patent applicant
The UK’s most prolific patent applicant in 2017 was Rolls Royce, with 372
applications. Unilever came in second with 222, next was BT and BAE Systems with
170 each and the fifth was Glaxo Smith Kline with 110.
In terms of academic institutions, the University of Oxford was the highest ranked in
the UK in tenth place (49 applications). Vodafone dropped out of the top ten most
active patent applicants from the UK, down to number 15 with 34 EPO applications.
Biggest fields of innovation
The report also shows the main technology fields in the UK. In 2017, Medical
technology took the top spot from Transport as the UK’s most prolific tech field with
364 EPO applications. This is up 7.1% on 2016.
Measurement moved from third to second with an increase of 2.2% to 325 EPO
applications. Transport dropped by 9.3% to the third most important tech field. Within
the top ten most active tech fields the following increased by double digits:
• Mechanical elements increased by 50%.
• Biotechnology increased by 25.3%.
• Civil engineering increased by 20.2%.
• Pharmaceuticals increased by 15.7%.
• Organic fine chemistry by 14.4%.
Regions with strongest growth
The regional rankings showed that Greater London was the most prolific in the UK,
with 32.6% of all UK patents filed at the EPO. Next came the East of England with
11.8%, NW England with 10.9%, SE England with 9.6%, the West Midlands with
9.1%.
Strongest growth was shown by NE England (up 15.8%), Greater London (up
10.6%), Scotland (up 9.7%) and Wales at 7.4%. The South East of England
recorded the biggest decline, with applications falling by 12.4% last year.
Applications up across Europe
Most countries in Europe showed an increase in applications to the EPO in 2017.
These include Italy with an increase of 4.3%, the Netherlands up 2.7% and Germany
showing an increase of 1.9%.
France increased slightly (0.5%) after a decrease of 2.4% in 2016, and Belgium was
one of very few larger European countries to file fewer patents in 2017 (down 1.9%).

3. Medical Technology leads the way
The field with the largest number of patents across Europe was Medical Technology
(an increase of 6.2%), followed by Digital Communication and Computer
Technology. The strongest growth was measured at 14.5% for Biotech, followed by
Pharmaceuticals at 8.1%.
Further analysis shows that some countries (for example, South Korea and China)
are showing marked progression in specific areas, such as ICT (Information and
Communications Technology). Other countries show a wider diversity in applications
across many fields. European companies show greater diversity with more
applications concerning smart vehicles and AI (Artificial Intelligence), while countries
in Asia continue to dominate ICT.
Strong future for UK
With the UK’s EPO patent applications more than holding their own in comparison to
other countries around the world, it’s positive news for innovation in this country. It’s
likely we’ll continue to see an increase in patent applications over 2018, as major
strides are taken within new fields.
About Dawn Ellmore Employment
Dawn Ellmore Employment was incorporated in 1995 and is a market leader in
intellectual property and legal recruitment.