Huawei tops list for patent applications in Europe
The European Patent Office (EPO), on Thursday, said Chinese telecoms giant Huawei applied for more patents in Europe than any other company in 2019.
The Munich-based office noted that patent applications for digital technologies soared in 2019, driven by the rise of 5G internet and artificial intelligence (AI).
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Huawei topped the ranking ahead of South Korean heavyweights Samsung and LG.
Applications from China were up 29.2 per cent in 2019, while South Korea saw a rise of 14.1 per cent and the United States saw its number of applications climb by 5.5 per cent.
EPO President, Antonio Campinos, said in a statement that “the rapid rise of digital technologies is the most striking trend from our 2019 index.
“It is important that companies and researchers in Europe seeking to protect their inventions find a level playing field with their competitors from Asia and the U.S.
“It is also important for companies to be able to maintain a strong position in the global technology market,’’ Campinos said.
The index showed digital communication patents up 19.6 per cent, overtaking medical technology to claim the top spot for the field with the most innovation.
Europe, China and the U.S. each accounted for around a quarter of all patent applications filed with the EPO in this field.
By country, the most filings came from the U.S. (25 per cent), followed by Germany (15 per cent), Japan (12 per cent), China (seven per cent) and France (six per cent).
The EPO said 2019 was a record year in terms of patents applications filed, which totalled around 181,000. (dpa/NAN)
