The EPO received a total of 201,974 patent applications in 2025, the highest number ever, and an increase of 1.4 per cent compared with the previous year.
Focusing on applications from Europe, the total number increased by 0.4 per cent. Here, Denmark stands out positively.
Denmark filed 2,672 European patent applications with the EPO in 2025, corresponding to an increase of 5.2 per cent compared with the previous year.
Measured by the number of European patent applications per million inhabitants, this places Denmark fourth in the EPO’s global ranking.
Computer technology, digital communication, and electrical machinery, equipment and energy remain among the fastest-growing technology fields in Europe. For example, applications within digital communication increased by 11.4 per cent, while computer technology grew by 6.1 per cent.
Novonesis leads this year’s Danish top 10
The list of Danish companies and research institutions that filed the most patent applications in 2025 looks slightly different from the previous year. Novonesis Group, ahead of Vestas, which ranks second.
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Denmark’s strongholds
This year’s top 10 reveals that some of Denmark’s key strengths remain within energy and green technology, biotechnology and health. At the same time, the Danish research and education sector once again plays a prominent role . The Technical University of Denmark is the most active patent applicant among all European universities at the EPO in 2025 and ranks second globally among universities filing applications with the EPO. The University of California ranks first.
The Unitary Patent is gaining ground in Europe
The Unitary Patent was launched in 2023 and enables companies to obtain patent protection in 18 EU countries through a single request.
In 2025, unitary patent protection was requested for 33,333 European patents, corresponding to 28.7 per cent of all European patents granted. This is an increase from 25.6 per cent the year before.
Smaller actors in particular are increasingly using the Unitary Patent. In 2025, 48.3 per cent of all unitary patents were requested by universities, public research organisations, SMEs and micro-enterprises. This marks a significant increase from 38.4 per cent in 2024. Interest also grew outside Europe.
See all figures and trends in the EPO Technology Dashboard 2025