EPO launches its Data Desk, providing actionable intelligence for Europe's innovators and policymakers

The EPO’s new Data Desk provides unique insights into global technology trends, patent filings and the latest deep tech developments in a single, user-friendly platform. Developed by the EPO Observatory, it offers users free, full access to explore, analyse and visualise trends in greater granularity than ever before, across all countries and technology fields. The tool was launched yesterday in Paris at VivaTech, Europe’s largest annual startup and technology fair, where the EPO participated for the third consecutive year in partnership with the French National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI France).

Highlights included a presentation by President António Campinos, a workshop with startups and investors in quantum and deep tech, and joint sessions with INPI France. Beyond VivaTech, the EPO collaborates with national patent offices at startup events across Europe, promoting intellectual property, demonstrating free tools such as the Data Desk and engaging directly with startups and SMEs.

Actionable intelligence for European technological sovereignty

The Data Desk launch comes at a highly relevant moment: the European Commission unveiled its Technology Sovereignty Package earlier this month, bringing together key policy areas such as AI, quantum, data, cybersecurity, energy and semiconductors to help close Europe's gap with the US and others in R&D, jobs and market share.

In assessing the innovation landscape, EPO President António Campinos notes that “Europe’s technological sovereignty is under unprecedented pressure, with many key industries subject to external dependencies. Europe should leverage its world-class research to become more self-reliant in strategic technologies such as batteries, semiconductors, quantum computing and artificial intelligence. It should prioritise scaling innovations that can deliver the greatest impact. This is why patent intelligence is so important. For example, the cartographies in our new Data Desk provide policymakers and investors with the sort of granular information that enables them to see which niche subfields have the greatest potential and to identify the leading players.” 

Specially curated cartographies of game-changing technology fields

The public online resource enables everyone to explore patenting trends in more granular detail than ever before. It features specially curated datasets relating to five critical, rapidly developing fields, with initial cartographies covering energy transition technologies and quantum computing. Further key digital technologies will be added later this year, in line with the Technology Sovereignty Package.

Extended global data on Europe’s technology market

The Data Desk contains all the technology trend data the EPO already publishes, but with a user-friendly interface and 15 years of data. It includes dashboards showcasing patent filing activity across different countries of origin and all 35 technology fields. Users can explore trends in granted patents and Unitary Patents as well as patent applications per capita for major countries of origin.

Dashboard confirms enhanced performance of patent-active deep tech startups

The Data Desk also includes a new dashboard that provides metrics on over 8 000 European deep tech startups selected from the EPO’s Deep Tech Finder. The metrics compare the overall performance of these startups, each of which has at least one European patent filing, with that of another 280 000 European startups with no patent filings. This reveals the impact of filings on funding, deal frequency, job creation and exit rate, with country and industry breakdowns available for users to select based on their interests. Looking at the period 2020-2024, the dashboard shows that the cohort of patent-active European deep tech startups enjoyed a funding intensity of +137%, a deal frequency of +356%, and a job creation rate of +181%, as compared with European startups with no patent filings.

VivaTech 2026 – boosting growth for technology startups

President Campinos also exchanged directly with key innovation stakeholders at VivaTech, including INPI Director General Pascal Faure. They reaffirmed the strong partnership between the two offices, including with regard to promoting innovation and the importance of intellectual property. Gilles Requena, Chief Patent Research and Policy Officer also opened the “Germany Day” at the Quantum Zone of VivaTech, a space dedicated to quantum innovation from France and Germany.

Whilst in Paris, President Campinos met with Arthur Mensch, CEO of Mistral AI, exchanging views on the responsible and effective use of artificial intelligence. Their discussion on Tuesday highlighted shared ambitions to strengthen innovation, enhance public services – including Mistral AI’s strategic cooperation with the EPO – and support European technological sovereignty through trusted AI solutions. Also in the margins of VivaTech, President Campinos met with Jean-Luc Moullet, Director General for Research and Innovation at the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space for an exchange on policy, technology trends and competitiveness. Their discussions focused on France’s strong performance in patenting and deep tech innovation.