EPO patent filings up for fifth year in a row
The European Patent Office (EPO) received more than 273,000 patent filings in 2014, in what was a record year for applications at the office.
In total, 273,110 applications were filed at the office, representing a 3% increase on 2013, when the office received 265,000.
It is the fifth year in a row that EPO patent filings have increased.
"These figures are only a first estimate but they confirm Europe's continued strength as a hub of innovation," said EPO president Benoît Battistelli.
In 2013, the EPO granted and published 66,700 patents, which was 1.7% more than in 2012.
It is not yet known how many applications were granted and published last year. The office will publish more detailed figures, including those covering individual countries and industry sectors, on February 26.
The increase in filings comes at a time when the EPO has been affected by several rounds of strikes, the third of which took place across a five-week period at the end of last year. On certain days, up to 30% of staff walked out.
