EPO Technology Dashboard 2025: UK innovation remains robust as European patent filings surpass 200 000
By Rita Azevedo
At a glance
UK innovators filed 5,875 patent applications with the European Patent Office in 2025, a 3.3% decrease from 2024 but a 13.5% increase over the past decade. The UK ranked ninth in European patent applications, with computer technology, consumer goods, and medical technology as leading fields. The Unitary Patent system is gaining traction, with British patentees seeking this protection for over a third of their patents, highlighting its growing importance for innovation in Europe.
- UK innovators filed 5 875 patent applications with the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2025
- Filings declined 3.3% compared with 2024, but have increased 13.5% over the past decade
- The UK ranked 9th country of origin for patent applications at the EPO
- Computer technology, other consumer goods and medical technology were the leading fields for UK applicants
- Greater London remains the UK’s leading region
- British patentees requested Unitary Patent protection for more than a third of their European patents in 2025
UK innovators filed 5 875 patent applications last year, according to the EPO Technology Dashboard 2025 (formerly Patent Index) published today.
Filings from the UK declined 3.3% compared with 2024 (6 076 applications), after three consecutive years of growth. However, the number of European patent applications from the UK has increased by 13.5% compared to 2016.
Overall, the EPO received 201 974 patent applications in 2025, representing a 1.4% increase compared with the previous year (199 264) and marking the first time that applications exceeded 200 000.
“The record volume of patent applications underlines Europe’s innovative capacity and its appeal as a global technology market,” said EPO President António Campinos. “The Technology Dashboard 2025 tracks progress and gaps across industrial sectors, helping policymakers in Europe identify priority areas and target actions and investments to strengthen tech sovereignty and competitiveness. While the Unitary Patent is already removing barriers and accelerating the transition to a more integrated European innovation market, continued focus is needed, especially on strategic sectors such as AI, semiconductors, health and quantum technologies.”
UK ranks 9th worldwide in European patent applications
In 2025, the United Kingdom ranked ninth among countries of origin for patent applications filed with the EPO. The United States (47 008 applications) remained the leading country, followed by Germany (24 476). China (22 031) ranked third for the first time, overtaking Japan.
Patent applications are widely regarded as an early indicator of research and development investment and technological activity, providing insights into emerging areas of innovation and industrial competitiveness.
Computer technology leads UK patent filings
UK innovators’ patent filings reflect strengths in several high-growth technology sectors. The top 3 fields of technology for UK applicants at the EPO in 2025 were:
- Computer technology remained the leading field with 579 patent applications, unchanged from 2024. The UK accounted for 11% of applications from EPO states, ranking third behind Germany (33%) and France (16%). In AI-related sub-fields of computer technology, the UK also ranked third, recording 29% growth - the highest increase among leading European countries, and second globally only to China. In the small but emerging field of quantum technologies, UK innovators more than doubled their European patent filings in 2025.
- Other consumer goods ranked second with 478 applications, although filings declined 36.4% compared with 2024 (after a surge in the previous year, largely driven by filings in vaping technologies.
- Medical technology followed closely with 474 applications, reflecting 10% growth compared with the previous year. This was significantly above the EPO average growth rate of +1.3% in this field.
Several other technology areas recorded notable increases. Civil engineering filings rose 43.8% to 220, while other special machines - which include inventions related to machine tools and 3D printing - increased 22% to 205. In contrast, filings in chemical engineering declined 35% to 141 applications.
Greater London remains the UK’s leading innovation hub
Greater London was again the UK region with the most European patent applications (1 918), accounting for nearly a third (32.6%) of the national total, although applications from the region declined 18.9% compared with 2024. London also ranked 8th among all European regions at the EPO.
The East of England ranked second with 857 applications (14.6% share), followed by North West England, South West England, and South East England.
Several regions recorded notable growth, including the East Midlands (+24.4%), Yorkshire and the Humber (+24.6%), and Scotland (+10.1%).
The City of London (with 1 779 applications) ranked 5th among European cities, behind Munich, Paris, Eindhoven and Espoo. Globally, London ranked 13th, with Tokyo at the top of the list.
Unilever and British American Tobacco lead UK applicants
Among UK-based applicants, Unilever filed the largest number of patent applications at the EPO in 2025 with 423 filings. It was the second biggest applicant in organic fine chemistry at the EPO of all applicants globally, just behind BASF. British American Tobacco ranked second in the UK with 396 applications, followed by BAE Systems with 228.
Other leading applicants included Rolls-Royce (192), AstraZeneca (169), British Telecommunications (161), Linde (158), Imperial Brands (140), Vodafone Group (109) and Shell (108). AstraZeneca ranked fourth at the EPO in pharmaceuticals and seventh in biotechnology, increasing filings in both fields despite the overall decline in these sectors at the EPO.
Two universities, Oxford University and the University of Cambridge, were also among the UK’s top 20 applicants in 2025. Both featured in the EPO ranking of European universities by patent applications (7th and 11th, respectively).
Unitary Patent gaining popularity among British innovators
The Unitary Patent, launched in 2023, has rapidly become a cornerstone of Europe’s innovation ecosystem, offering a simplified path to protection across 18 EU states. British patentees requested unitary protection for 37.5% of their European patents granted in 2025, up from 31.8% in 2024. This was just below the EPO member state average of 40.0%, but significantly above the global average of 28.7%. Patentees from EPO member states had the highest uptake last year, followed by those from China (22.6%), the US (19.7%), the Republic of Korea (19.1%) and Japan (9.8%). While large global companies are among the biggest users of the system, SMEs, universities, and public research organisations now account for nearly half of all Unitary Patents granted to European innovators, demonstrating its role in supporting smaller innovators seeking cost-effective protection across a market of 350 million people.
Issued by MARCO Agency. Distributed by WebPR UK.
About MARCO Agency
About the EPO With 6 300 staff members, the European Patent Office (EPO) is one of the largest public service institutions in Europe. Headquartered in Munich with offices in Berlin, Brussels, The Hague and Vienna, the EPO was founded with the aim of strengthening co-operation on patents in Europe. Through the EPO’s centralised patent granting procedure, inventors are able to obtain high-quality patent protection in up to 46 countries, covering a market of some 700 million people. The EPO is also the world’s leading authority in patent information and patent searching. About the EPO Technology Dashboard The EPO Technology Dashboard (the new name for the former annual Patent Index) is a tool for tracking global innovation trends, offering insights into European patent application activity across industries and regions. By analysing patent data, the dashboard serves as a barometer for technological progress, R&D investment, and competitiveness - helping businesses, policymakers, and researchers understand the changing dynamics of the current innovation landscape.