China sets new record for European filings over the past year
The European Patent Office (EPO) has recently issued the 2024 edition of its annual Patent Index which provides a detailed overview of European patenting trends over the past year.
The total number of European patent applications filed in 2024 remained largely consistent with figures reported in the previous year. A total of 199,264 patent applications were filed. This includes direct European filings and international (PCT) applications that had entered the European phase. As would be expected, one of the top countries for EP patent application filings was China with the number of filings going from strength to strength.
Patent Application Filings
China accounted for 10.1% of all EP patent applications in 2024, with 20,081 filings—a new record for them and an increase of 0.5% compared to 2023. This positions China as the 4th largest filer at the EPO, following the U.S., Germany, and Japan. However, it is the long-term trends that are most striking. Since 2015, Chinese originating EP patent applications have risen by an impressive 250%, far outpacing the growth rates of the other top filers. Chinese applicants were also responsible for 8% of all European patents granted in 2024.
Top Applicants
Chinese companies continue to rank among the EPO’s most prolific patent filers. Huawei earned the number two spot among all applicants in 2024. Other prominent Chinese companies that made the top 50 applicants include Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), ZTE Corporation, Xiaomi, Vivo Mobile and Tencent. These companies represent a wide range of technology sectors —from telecommunications and energy to consumer electronics and software.
Top Technology Fields
China’s top technology field was electrical machinery, apparatus and energy. This sector saw China’s biggest increase in filings, a 32% rise compared to 2023. China’s other top technology fields included computer technology and digital communications.
As China continues to invest in research and development, and strengthening its overseas intellectual property, such as those patent applications filed at the EPO last year, it is likely to remain as one of the world’s most successful countries for innovation.
Here at Barker Brettell we have a dedicated China Team who have experience working with a range of Chinese clients in their intellectual property matters. If you would like more details please contact Scott King.
