European universities are living are experiencing a renaissance and driving a surge in patent applications, with over one in ten of all filings from Europe to the European Patent Office (EPO) now originating from academic institutions, up from 6% in 2000. “Europe’s universities are becoming increasingly vibrant workshops for many inventions in recent dècades,” according to a recent study by the EPO’s Observatory on Patents and Technology, developed in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI).

The report analyzed data from more than 1,200 universities and knowledge transfer offices (KTOs) across two decades (2000-2020), showing a significant jump in university-related patents. Direct ownership of patent applications by universities, known as “academic patents,” has nearly doubled, growing from 20% in 2000 to 45% in 2019. These direct academic patents are filed in the university’s or its KTO’s name, while researchers or affiliated companies might hold indirect patents.

“The landscape is dominated by a handful of patent-active universities”, according to the study. Certain institutions, including the University of Grenoble Alpes (France), the Technical University of Munich (Germany), the University of Oxford (UK), the University of Copenhagen, and the Polytechnic University of Milan, among others, account for nearly half of all academic patents filed, with large countries such as France, Germany, and the UK leading in total applications.

An example of a patent achieved this year by a European university is the one obtained by the Italian Institute of Technology related to an artificial foot that replicates the movements of a natural foot, capable of flexing and adapting to obstacles and surfaces on which it walks. The development, which can change the lives of amputees and robots, actually includes three different patents.

A fragmented landscape for patent innovation

Another finding is the fragmented nature of Europe’s innovation landscape. While universities often partner with public research organizations, SMEs, or industry on joint patents, the majority of collaborations remain within national borders. Former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi highlighted this fragmentation in a recent report, expressing concern that it could hinder the EU’s competitiveness on the global stage.

“Europe has a longstanding tradition of academic excellence, but we sometimes struggle to turn research into commercial success,” says EPO President António Campinos. “This study sheds light on academic inventiveness across Europe to further inform policies and strategies.

Unitary patent movement and collaboration

The report cites the new Unitary Patent as a positive move toward overcoming these hurdles, aiming to streamline cross-border IP protection. “By leveraging patents through licensing, collaboration or spin-outs, universities can amplify their impact, driving both market and social value. As the recent Draghi report underscores, there is still significant work to be done to achieve a single market for research and technology in Europe, since our study reveals that 10% of startups with academic patents now move to the US.”

Together with the study, the EPO has expanded its Deep Tech Finder (DTF) tool, which now features data on nearly 900 universities with pending or granted patents. The DTF is designed to connect investors with over 9,250 investment-ready startups, including 1,500 university spin-outs, which “make it easy to filter startups by growth stage, industry sector or their technical field, as well as enabling searches by the names of startups, universities or investors.”