A recent study highlights the growing role of universities in Europe’s innovation landscape. The study also points out Europe’s fragmentation, which limits its ability to turn scientific research into economic competitiveness.
The European Patent Office (EPO) report shows that European patent applications are concentrated in a few key universities. From 2000 to 2020, 5% of European universities accounted for half of all direct and indirect patent applications, totaling over 100,000.
Leading this group is France’s University of Grenoble, with 3,348 applications. ETH Zurich follows with 2,219, and the Technical University of Munich comes next with 2,183 applications. Most patents are submitted in Europe’s industrialized regions, where industry collaboration and technology transfer opportunities are strongest.
Country contributions reveal Germany’s dominance, with 24.09% of patent applications. France ranks second with 17.97%, followed by the UK with 12.26%, and Italy with 6.61%. Smaller countries like Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, Finland, and the Netherlands lead in academic patents per university.
Prominent sectors for patent activity include pharmaceuticals (24,944 applications), biotechnology (22,870), measurement (22,870), and analysis of biological materials (8,832). European universities’ share of total patent applications grew from 6.2% in 2000 to 10.2% in 2019.
The ‘Patent Paradox’ and Its Effect on Competitiveness
Despite increased patent activity, Europe faces a significant paradox in its economy. Over 20% of filed patents remain commercially unexploited. Europe’s strength in academic research has not fully translated into technological or economic performance, especially compared to other advanced economies.
This issue is known as the “European paradox” — the challenge of turning scientific research into commercial success. Europe is home to nearly a third of the world’s top 100 universities, according to the Shanghai Rankings. However, 10% of startups with European academic patents operate in the US, highlighting challenges in commercializing technologies within the EU’s single market.
Barriers to Capitalizing on European Patents
Several obstacles limit Europe’s ability to fully exploit its academic patents. Market and policy fragmentation, underfunded university research, and a widespread “anti-risk sentiment” all play a role. National differences in academic patenting approaches create further barriers, keeping much of the knowledge confined to local or regional ecosystems.
Reports by Mario Draghi on European competitiveness and Enrico Letta on the future of the Single Market emphasize the role of fragmentation in this struggle. Fragmentation adds to the transaction costs of navigating multiple national frameworks. Despite these issues, there is potential for greater harmonization and integration in Europe’s academic invention market. Such integration could help unlock the commercial potential of European patents, improving the continent’s competitiveness.
