Catalonia continues to lead Spain in patent applications, accounting for 35%
35% of the total patent applications in Spain in 2016 were submitted in Catalonia, totalling 547. This figure is 5.5% higher than that registered in 2015, according to the last European Patent Office (EPO) report. Madrid ranked second with 321 applications, 11% less than the previous year. The three main entities which submitted patent applications in Barcelona were Esteve Laboratory, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and the Almirall pharmaceutical company. The number of patent Applications in the whole of Spain totalled 1,558 in 2016, contributing only 1% to the world total, which is led by the United States. If Catalonia were a country, it would be number 23 in the world ranking, ahead of Norway, Turkey, Luxembourg and Singapore amongst others.
Brussels (CNA).- Catalonia continues to top the patent applications in Spain. In 2016, 547 patents were submitted, according to the last European Patent Office's (EPO) report. The three main entities which submitted patent applications in Barcelona were Esteve Laboratory, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and the Almirall pharmaceutical company. Indeed, if Catalonia were a country, it would be number 23 in the world ranking, ahead of Norway, Turkey, Luxembourg and Singapore amongst others. On the other hand, Madrid’s number of patent application submissions fell by 11% in 2016 in comparison to the previous year, totalling 321. The number of patent applications in the whole of Spain totalled 1,558 in 2016, contributing only 1% to the world ranking, which is led by the United States. However, the number of patents which were ultimately admitted grew by nearly 50% in 2016 in comparison the previous year, reaching 752.
The number of patent applications in the whole of Spain in 2016 grew by 2.5% in comparison to the previous year, reaching 1,558. Those which were ultimately accepted reached 752, 47.2% more than in 2015. The sectors which contributed the most to the patent applications were transport and pharmaceuticals, followed by biotechnology.
Catalonia continues to lead the Spanish ranking with 547 applications, followed by Madrid (321), the Basque Country (209), the Valencian Community (116) and Andalusia (103). In Catalonia, Barcelona is the leading city, accounting for nearly 50% of the patent applications.
The companies and research institutions which submitted the most patents in Catalonia were Esteve laboratory (30), which also leads the Spanish ranking, followed by Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (20), the pharmaceutical company Almirall (11), Fico Triad (8), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (8) and Zobele (8).
In the whole of Spain, the second institution which contributed the most to the patent applications register was the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) (26), followed by Telefónica (26). Repsol submitted 20 patent applications, the same number as Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.