Page 8 - Industrial Technology March 2020 issue

INDUSTRY NEWS

Significant growth for UK

patent applications in Europe

INCREASED VOLUME OF PATENT APPLICATIONS FROM UK COMPANIES year’s patent-filing data from the EPO. The volume of
REFLECTS HIGH LEVELS OF INNOVATION ACTIVITY, BUT IS DISGUISING European patent applications originating from the UK has
increased more than 20 percent since 2015 – clear
A HISTORIC UNDER INVESTMENT IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT evidence of sustained impetus and investment.
“Despite the growth in innovation activity, there is still
he volume of patent applications filed by UK Cambridge’s technology transfer entity supporting a history of under investment in R&D in the UK compared
businesses in Europe has risen ‘significantly’ for students and staff to commercialise inventions. to countries such as Germany and the US. This is evident
the sixth year in a row – confirming the strong The UK sector responsible for the most European in data published earlier this year revealing that
Tfocus on innovation activity in fields such as patent applications in 2019 was ‘consumer goods’, investment in R&D in the UK equates to just 1.7% of GDP,
digital communication and computer
technology. The Patent Index 2019 report
published by the European Patent Office
(EPO) shows that patent applications
originating in the UK rose by 6.9% to 6,156
in 2019, building on growth of 8.2% in
2018. The UK has also retained its 3% share
of total European patent applications.
For the second year in a row, the increase
in the volume of patent applications david.b@atlas.co.uk
originating in the UK is above average
compared to the overall increase in filings at
the EPO, which rose by 4% to 181,406 in
2019. Of these, the largest number of applications generating 514 patent applications, largely due to the compared to 2.8% in the US, 3% in Germany and 4.6%
originated in the US, Germany and Japan. The UK came activity of Nerudia. Other UK sectors generating large in South Korea. The Budget Statement announced some
ninth in the overall list of top-filing nations. volumes of European patent applications include very positive news about funding for R&D, which should
Rolls-Royce was the top UK filer, with 494 patent ‘computer technology’, particularly in areas such as AI and help to boost innovation activity in the UK. As well as
applications at the EPO in 2019. The UK-based vapour machine learning, as well as data processing and increasing public investment in R&D to £22bn by 2024-
innovation business, Nerudia, was in second place, filing generation, and ‘medical technology’. 25 – almost double the current level – the Chancellor
335 patent applications, and consumer goods company, Karl Barnfather, chairman of European intellectual announced plans to invest £800m in a new ‘blue skies
Unilever, was in third position with 246 patent property firm, Withers and Rogers, said: “The UK has long science research agency’, modelled on the US Advanced
applications. A newcomer to the top 20 list of UK filers is been respected for its high-quality, diverse R&D activities Research Projects Agency (ARPA), to spearhead
Cambridge Enterprise (26 applications), the University of and once more there is evidence of strong growth in this investment in early-stage R&D activity.”

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY • March 2020
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