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Data for 2020 show that despite the pandemic, demand for patent protection in Europe has remained high. Last year the EPO received 180 250 patent applications in total, which was slightly below the previous year’s figure (2019: 181 532, -0.7%).

But it also reveals stark contrasts among technology sectors and economic regions. Healthcare inventions drove filing activity, with medical technology retaking the No.1 spot, and pharmaceuticals and biotechnology posting the strongest growth among the top fields.

And, while the Patent Index 2020 does not provide a complete picture of the longer-term effects of the pandemic, it is clear that innovation will play a key role in leading us out of the pandemic, and in securing economic recovery.