European Patent Office Reports Record 2025 Patent Filings, Driven by AI and Clean Energy

The European Patent Office received a record 201,974 patent applications in 2025, marking a 1.4% increase from the previous year, announced in a press release. The EPO’s Technology Dashboard 2025 shows that filings from Europe rose 0.4%, while those from outside Europe grew 2.1%.

Computer technology remained the top field, up 6.1%, with AI-related patent applications increasing 9.5% and quantum technologies up 37.9%. Digital communication ranked second, growing 11.4% due to advancements in 6G development. Electrical machinery and energy technologies followed with 5.3% growth, supported by a 14.6% rise in battery innovations. Semiconductor filings rose 7.6%, while medical technology increased slightly by 1.3%.

China and the Republic of Korea posted the strongest growth in filings, up 9.7% and 9.5% respectively, with China surpassing Japan as the third-largest source of applications. The United States remained the top country of origin, despite a 1.6% decline. Within Europe, Finland recorded the highest growth at 44%.

Four of the top ten applicants were European companies, with Nokia moving up to fifth place. The Unitary Patent system, launched in 2023, continued to expand, with over 80,000 requests in 2025 and an uptake rate of 28.7%. European innovators accounted for the highest share of these requests, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises and research institutions.