Italian companies: a steep rise of patent applications filed with the EPO in 2021
Growth has almost doubled since 2020 and well above the average growth of EU countries 4 May 2022
The pandemic did not hinder or destroy the inventiveness and originality of the Italians. The growth rate (+6.5%) of patent applications submitted to the EPO by Italian companies in 2021 almost doubled (+3.4% in 2020), and is far higher than the average growth rate of the 27 EU countries, equal to 2.7%.
Fameccanica has become the first Italian company by number of patent applications filed with the EPO, surpassing Pirelli, Saipem, Eni, Prysmian, Piaggio and Leonardo. Unfortunately, major companies such as Stellantis, CNH Industrial NV or STMicroelectronics NV are not on this list as they are not registered in Italy but in the Netherlands.
Lombardy (12th), Emilia-Romagna (18th), Veneto (22nd) and Piedmont (30th) are the four Italian regions that have become part of the top thirty European regions based on patent applications filed with the EPO. Together they deposit over 60% of all patent applications submitted by Italian companies to the EPO. Among these, Veneto records the highest rate of increase (+7.5%). Abruzzo recorded a growth of 175.5%, going from 49 applications in 2020 to 135 in 2021.
