World IP Day: EPO reveals 33% jump in cleantech inventions over five years
Germany and France top cleantech innovator countries | IP acts as as “motivator” for companies to invest in sustainable products | Singapore trails green innovation focus with IPOS update.
In light of World IP Day, the European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have released a joint report highlighting the role of the EU single market in scaling up clean and sustainable inventions.
According to the report, titled ‘Financing and Commercialisation of Cleantech Innovation’, more than 750,000 inventions were published for clean and sustainable technologies between 1997 and 2021, representing nearly 12% of all inventions during this period.
A surge in clean tech inventions saw a 33% increase from 2016 to 2021, with almost 55,000 inventions recorded in 2021 alone.
This year’s World IP Day revolves around the relationship between IP and the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
President of the EPO, António Campinos, said: "A proliferation of clean and sustainable technologies holds the key to securing a better future.”
Campinos noted that while it's encouraging to see inventors in the EU leading the way in patenting green technologies, it’s “vital” that the global IP landscape continues to deepen collaboration.
The Unified Patent system, introduced in 2023, strengthened the EU’s legal framework for protecting innovation by providing a cheaper simpler patent protection in 17 EU member states, according to Campinos.
EIB president Nadia Calviño echoed this sentiment, highlighting Europe's commitment to cleantech.
She said, "Europe is at the forefront of cleantech innovation, and a fully functioning single market in the European Union is a catalyst for scaling this up."
Germany and France lead nations
Between 2017 and 2021, the EPO member states contributed 27% of all high-value cleantech inventions worldwide, with Germany, France, and the UK emerging as the top regional contributors.
However, globally, Japan, the US, and China remained significant players in the sector.
Low-carbon energy technology led the field of clean and sustainable technologies, followed by clean mobility solutions.
Alternatives to plastics also ranked high, with significant patent filings.
Additionally, clean manufacturing, along with building, ICT, and climate change adaptation technologies, showed substantial patent activity.
Challenges and opportunities
The report also shed light on the challenges faced by cleantech innovators.
Over 70% of companies patenting clean and sustainable technologies in the EU have fewer than 5,000 employees.
While 29% of these companies currently prioritise the national market, 61% view the EU as their key future market.
Access to financing remained a significant barrier for micro and small cleantech innovators, with 43% of medium and 55% of large companies citing consistent regulation in the EU as their most desired form of policy support.
IP as a motivator for investing in sustainable products
Joseph Cherayath, vice president of enforcement at Corsearch, noted that World IP Day is an opportunity to reflect on not only the importance of brand and trademark protection but also industry improvements.
“It would be ironic if the industry responsible for protecting innovation shied away from new
technologies, so it’s great to see the widespread uptake of AI-powered technology and tools,” said Cherayath.
New technology and AI powered tools can make protection and enforcement processes easier, however this “must be partnered with human insight and judgement in ‘hybrid intelligence’ for our industry to truly reach its potential,” he warned.
Janina Wortmann, partner at Finnegan, highlighted the crucial role of IP in the advance of sustainable tech.
“New and sustainable products can often be protected by registered or—depending on the jurisdiction—even unregistered designs. Companies that develop innovative services that help achieve Sustainable Development Goals can protect their newly developed brands with the help of trademarks,” she said.
In several countries, this protection is supported by unfair competition laws, explained Wortmann.
These laws aim to prevent companies from unfairly benefiting from a competitor's product, and also address the issue of greenwashing, where companies try to make their products seem environmentally friendly without actually improving their processes or products.
“IP protection plays an important role when it comes to motivating companies to invest in more sustainable products, technologies, and services,” she added.
Singapore: Green innovation a focus
The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) also published research findings highlighting Singapore’s increased focus on creating and commercialising green innovations.
Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam SC, minister for home affairs and minister for law, said: This year’s theme celebrates the relationship between IP and the Sustainable Development Goals. It is also an opportunity to reflect on Singapore’s efforts towards sustainable development.”
These efforts include the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and the Forward Singapore movement. Additionally, during Budget 2024, the government announced a commitment of S$5 billion ($3.67 billion US dollars) towards investments in green technology, sustainable infrastructure, and climate adaptation to achieve our low-carbon transition.
The Singapore Green Trademarks Study, drawing inspiration from the EUIPO Green Trademarks study, aimed to analyse trends in green trademark filings in Singapore to understand progress in green- or sustainability-related innovation.
One key finding was the trend in trademark filings between 2014-2023 showed trademark filings for green or sustainability-related goods and services in Singapore have surged by over 30% in the past five years.
The absolute number of green trademark filings doubled over the last decade, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8.8%.
Additionally, the share of green trademarks has increased significantly from 8% in 2014 to 13% in 2023, indicating a growing interest in sustainability-related innovation in Singapore.
And there has been an overall increase in filings across all green-related innovations, particularly in transportation, climate change, and energy production.
IPOS will publish the full study in the second half of 2024.
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