EPO study confirms public research organisations’ ability to innovate – VTT the most active Finnish research organisation
- A recent study published by the European Patent Office (EPO) shows that VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. participated in 740 patent applications filed with the EPO in 2001-2020.
- VTT is the only public research organisation in the Nordic countries to rank among Europe’s top 15.
- Public research organisations were involved in around 5% of all European patent applications filed with the EPO by European applicants.
A study, developed by the EPO’s Observatory on Patents and Technology with Fraunhofer ISI, highlights the role of Europe’s public research organisations (PROs) in advancing innovation. Covering 39 member states, the report shows that between 2001 and 2020, PROs contributed to nearly 63,000 European patent applications - almost 5% of all filings from European applicants.
“Public research is one of Europe’s greatest strengths. This study highlights the vital role of our public research organisations and research hospitals, whose inventions boost Europe’s competitiveness,” said EPO President António Campinos. “But to unlock their full potential, we must step up collaboration and accelerate the transfer of research into real-world technologies.”
The study confirms the ability of Finnish public research organisations to innovate
In Finland, the most active player has been VTT, which accounts for the majority of European patent applications produced by the country’s public research. In 2001-2020, VTT was involved in 740 patent applications, constituting the great majority of Finland’s total of 896 patent applications originating from PROs at the EPO.
In an international comparison, VTT ranked as the 14th most active public research organisation in Europe and is the only Nordic actor in the top fifteen. Another active Finnish actor has been the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), with 30 patent applications.
Research-linked startups punch above their weight
The study also highlights the commercial impact of research-linked startups. More than 2,800 European startups have patent applications involving inventors from PROs or research hospitals. These account for over 27% of all startups in Europe with patent applications at the EPO. Yet, despite making up only a quarter of the total, they secured about half of all startup funding and nearly a third of deals and exits, underlining their key role in bringing research to market.
There are 89 startups operating in Finland whose patent applications are connected to European research organisations or hospitals.
Hospitals as hubs of research and medical innovation
European research hospitals contributed to over 17,400 European patent applications during the same period. Their ratio of direct-to-indirect applications more than tripled, showing a gradual move toward owning patents while continuing to play a key role in collaborative clinical innovation and translating research into patient-focused technologies.
Full report is available on the EPO website.Avautuu uuteen välilehteen