The University of Barcelona, leader in Spain in patent generation according to the EPO’s first long-term study

Spain ranks tenth in Europe in the number of academic patents, with Spanish universities responsible for 3.23% of all European applications.
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Catalonia is at the forefront of patent applications in Spain and is consolidating its position as a key driver of technological innovation and knowledge transfer. Specifically, the UB generated 330 European patents in the period studied. It is followed by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (328), the Universitat Politècnica de València (301), the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (298) and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (260).

With these figures, the UB demonstrates its commitment to cutting-edge research and the development of innovative solutions that contribute to technological and scientific progress in Spain and Europe.

Mercè Segarra, vice-rector for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Transfer of the UB, explains that “patents are a significant asset for the University of Barcelona because they help us to convert the knowledge generated at the UB into real solutions to the great challenges we face as a society, such as climate change, energy poverty or Alzheimer’s care”.

The report also shows that patents originating from European universities account for 10.2% of all applications filed at the EPO. The study notes that while the majority of patents originating in universities have been filed by companies, the percentage of patents filed directly by universities has increased from 24% to 45% over the two decades studied. Moreover, the report highlights challenges in cross-border collaboration, as most applications are made in collaboration with local partners.

The report, made by the EPO together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research, is based on data from 1,200 European universities.