EPO study: Record number of European patent applications from Finland – Nokia behind the growth in applications

In 2025, Finland set a record for the number of European patent applications, with a total of 3,457 patent applications filed at the European Patent Office (EPO). 

The number of applications grew by 44% from the previous year, which was the fastest growth among the 30 largest applicant countries of the EPO. Finland rose to sixth place in the EU and 12th place worldwide. Relative to its population, Finland was second only to Switzerland, highlighting Finland's position as a strong country in innovation.

The growth is mainly due to Nokia, which increased its applications by nearly 90% and rose to fifth place in the EPO applicant ranking, behind Samsung, Huawei, LG and Qualcomm. At the same time, Nokia was the largest patent applicant based in Europe. 

Nokia accounted for nearly two-thirds of all applications filed by Finns in 2025. Among the ten largest Finnish applicants, IQM Quantum Computers also stands out, being the fourth largest patent applicant in quantum technology after Fujitsu, Alphabet and Microsoft. Other companies, such as Kone, Stora Enso, Valmet and Metso, as well as Finnish research organisations, continued to actively apply for patents.

The growth in application numbers in technical fields was driven by digital communication and computer technology. Finland rose to become the world's fourth largest applicant in the field of digital communication. 

The number of European patent applications exceeded 200,000 for the first time, highlighting Europe's position as a global technology market.

More detailed statistics can be found on the EPO website.Avautuu uuteen välilehteen