Patent applications in Europe reached record high in 2021

The rate of new inventions has continued to increase with the European Patent Office (EPO) receiving 188,600 applications in 2021, a 4.5% increase on the previous year and the highest number to date. The number of patent applications –  an early indicator of companies’ investments in research and development – increased in nine of the top ten most patent-active fields of technology, with digital communication and computer technology posting the strongest growth. More…