This article is a part of Poland Unpacked. Weekly intelligence for decision-makers
Poland recorded the highest number of patent applications in our region of Europe. However, there were fewer than a year earlier – down by as much as 10 percent. From this smaller pool, it was nonetheless possible to extract greater results: the European Patent Office granted Polish inventors patent protection for more innovations than in the previous year. In the top 10 entities filing the most patent applications from Poland, half are universities.
Polish companies and universities submitted fewer patent applications last year to the European Patent Office (EPO), according to the latest “EPO Technology Dashboard 2025” report.
Fewer applications, more patents
Poland recorded 621 patent applications, a decline of as much as 10 percent compared with the previous year. This also marks the first drop in the number of Polish applications for innovation protection in five years. Since 2019, the supply of patent applications had been steadily increasing. Even the pandemic did not reverse this positive trend. Poland now ranks 12th in the EU in terms of the number of applications, ahead of other Central European countries: the Czech Republic (15th), Slovenia (16th), Hungary (17th), Slovakia (22nd), as well as the Baltic states. In the EPO’s top 40, it ranks 27th.
The growth rate of applications has also been above average. Over the past 10 years, the number of applications increased by 58 percent, compared with an average of 27 percent for the EPO as a whole.
Why does the number of applications matter in its own right, and not only the patents granted? The EPO explains that patent applications are an early indicator of the level of investment in research and development (R&D).
Patents in hand
Against the backdrop of a decline in the number of patent applications, a surprisingly large number of inventions from Poland were granted intellectual property protection. Significantly more than a year earlier – 327 compared with 239.
“While the decline in the number of patent applications to the EPO may raise concerns, it should not be interpreted solely as a sign of weakening economic innovativeness. In practice, such fluctuations often reflect a broader macroeconomic context – including a slowdown in investment, higher financing costs, or greater caution among companies when taking technological risks,” says Łukasz Radosz, managing director of the consulting firm Euro – Funding Polska, which supports the financing of innovation and R&D activities.
Interactive chart Experts point to a shift in Polish patent applications toward high-tech solutions—biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. This sector saw an increase in applications exceeding 51 percent. The pharmaceutical industry filed 44 patents (up 50 percent year on year). The technical sector also performed well – automotive, transport, energy, and machinery.
“A decline in applications may indicate a selection of higher-quality projects rather than a genuine technological downturn. If activity in strategic areas such as digital technologies, the green transition, or biotechnology is sustained, we are more likely dealing with a cyclical correction,” adds Łukasz Radosz.
The top 10 entities filing patent applications from Poland in Europe are evenly split between private companies and public universities. Together, they submitted 88 applications to protect their inventions. By comparison, the leading patent applicant – Samsung – filed 5,337 patent applications.
Patent trends
Computer technologies remain the leading field for patent applications (up 6.1 percent compared with 2024), closely followed by technologies related to artificial intelligence (up 9.5 percent). A sharp percentage increase in filings was observed in quantum technologies (up 37 percent).
While the United States accounted for the largest share of total applications in computer technologies, European innovators held the largest share in both artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.
Across Europe as a whole, applications in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors – unlike in Poland – declined (by 6.3 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively). By contrast, filings related to medical technologies increased by 1.3 percent.
“This highlights the importance of further strengthening Europe’s innovation framework for businesses and researchers in the life sciences, including progress on the proposed unitary supplementary protection certificate and the EU Biotechnology Act,” the EPO report authors write.
Trendsetters from Poland
Among the top 10 entities from Poland that filed the highest number of patent applications, five are private companies and five are public universities: Jagiellonian University, the Medical University of Gdańsk, the University of Warsaw, Warsaw University of Technology, and the AGH University of Kraków.
At the national level as well, universities lead in patents, ahead of the business sector. This should raise concerns among policymakers responsible for setting the framework for innovation development in Poland. It is increasingly evident that research expenditure at universities and the growing pace of university patenting are not, for now, translating into a tangible step-change in corporate development.
Cracks in the concrete of centralization
Warsaw and its surrounding region have retained their position as the leader in terms of the number of European patent applications filed. More than a quarter originate from the capital and its environs.
According to Eurostat, it is the Warsaw metropolitan region – rather than Berlin, Paris, or Copenhagen – where experts in the technology and science sectors make up the largest share of the workforce.
Małopolska ranks second (15.6 percent), followed by the Lower Silesian Voivodeship (12.4 percent). This indicates that other research and development hubs in Poland – Kraków and Wrocław – are also gaining strength.
We have reported on numerous projects in which both cities are actively developing advanced technology sectors, including artificial intelligence, space technologies, and defense-related industries.
Europe is trying, but is it enough?
The EPO is reporting a record number of patent applications last year, with nearly 202,000 filings covering a range of innovations. This represents a year-on-year increase of 1.4 percent.
The number of ideas submitted from European Union markets is once again rising, which may indicate that the Old Continent is gradually regaining strength and rebuilding its competitiveness.
“The record number of European patent applications highlights the innovative potential of our continent and its attractiveness as a global technology market,” comments António Campinos, President of the European Patent Office, on the new report.
In Europe, growth was driven by medium-sized countries: Finland (up 44 percent in the number of applications), Denmark (up 5.2 percent), Austria (up 5 percent), and Spain (up 2.9 percent). Countries long regarded as the continent’s major economic powers – Germany, France, the United Kingdom, as well as Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland – recorded declines.
The United States is slowing down, China climbs onto the podium
Growth in patent applications from outside Europe was stronger than that recorded within Europe.
The five countries from which the highest number of applications were filed with the EPO are the United States, Germany, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.
The United States maintained its position as the leading country in terms of European patent applications, submitting more than 44,000 filings. However, the number of applications declined by 1.6 percent. Germany remains in second place (24,500), also with a noticeable decline in filings – down 2.2 percent.
China is advancing rapidly in its bid to overtake the United States and Germany. It filed more than 22,000 patent applications, nearly 10 percent more than a year earlier. For the first time, it has surpassed Japan, securing a place on the podium of countries submitting the highest number of inventions for protection. This figure does not include Hong Kong, which the EPO reports separately (832 applications).
The number of applications from China has tripled since 2016, while applications from the Republic of Korea have doubled. This illustrates how quickly and intensively Asia’s “tiger” economies have built their competitive advantage.
Key Takeaways
- Interpretation and recommendations: Experts interpret the decline in Polish applications as a cyclical adjustment and a shift toward more selective, higher-quality projects rather than a deterioration in innovativeness. The report underscores the need to strengthen intellectual property protection frameworks (particularly in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals) and to improve the translation of university-driven activity into business development.
- Record number of patent applications in Europe: In 2025, the European Patent Office (EPO) received a record 201,974 applications – surpassing the 200,000 mark for the first time (+1.4 percent year on year). The strongest growth was recorded in digital technologies, AI, communications, batteries, and semiconductors. The United States and Germany remain the leading applicant countries, while China has now joined them on the podium.
- Poland: Fewer applications, more granted patents. Poland submitted 621 applications to the EPO (–10 percent year on year), marking the first decline in five years. The country ranks 12th in the EU. Despite the drop in applications, Polish inventors were granted more patents (327 versus 239 a year earlier). Alongside companies, public universities are among the leading applicants (Jagiellonian University, the Medical University of Gdańsk, the University of Warsaw, Warsaw University of Technology, and the AGH University of Kraków). In terms of regional distribution, Warsaw remains dominant, with growing activity also visible in Małopolska and Lower Silesia.