EPO launches new platform to make space technologies more accessible to all
- European Patent Office (EPO) announces knowledge-sharing tool for researchers, entrepreneurs and policymakers working in space sector
- The platform, enabling easy and precise navigation of the information found in patents, presented at online event today
- EPO’s Deep Tech Finder also updated to make it easier to search for investment-ready space startups
- New patent insight report published on propulsion systems for space
Munich, 28 May 2024 – The EPO is launching a new technology platform today to help scientists, engineers, governments and businesses in the space sector navigate the wealth of free information available in patents.
Space technologies are crucial not only for their role in advancing our understanding of the universe, but also for tackling global challenges and enhancing our daily lives, from mobile communication and weather forecasting to safety and security. While governments are important engines in the space sector, private actors are becoming increasingly involved. This has accelerated the sector’s growth, increasing the need to monitor new developments.
According to a recent report by the World Economic Forum, the space economy could be worth USD 1.8 trillion by 2035, up from USD 630 billion in 2023
EPO President António Campinos said: “So many of the breakthroughs that happen here on earth, are made possible by breakthroughs that happen in space. This technology platform offers a real-time window into technology trends in two important domains of space: cosmonautics and space observation.”
The new platform on space-related inventions allows users to easily identify patent documents concerning over 60 technical topics in cosmonautics and space observation. Patent examiners from national patent offices and the EPO have put their expertise into creating advanced search strategies, enabling those unfamiliar with patent searching to navigate through Espacenet, the world’s most advanced database for patent literature.
Connecting European space startups with investors
In addition to the platform, the EPO has updated its free Deep Tech Finder by adding a new filter for space-related technologies. This tool includes profiles (including the patents and funding history) of more than 8 400 startups that have filed patent applications at the EPO from all over Europe. It can now help investors and potential partners find innovative European space startups, thus supporting the development and commercialisation of new technologies.
Patents and propulsion systems: identifying trends
The EPO also published a new patent insight report today, “Propulsion systems for space”, which maps developments in this rapidly expanding field. The report finds that space propulsion systems have seen a strong increase in patent activity in the past 20 years, increasing on average by 9% a year. International patent activity is mainly concentrated in traditional space sector leaders, including the US, Europe and China. This is the fourth in a series of patent insight reports published by the EPO together with the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) to investigate global patent filing trends in different fields of space technologies.
The new platform and other tools are being launched today at a free online conference “Space technologies: tracking innovation and startup development”. The event brings together experts from the EPO, the European Southern Observatory (ESO), ESA, ESPI and companies active in this sector.
Further information
- Visit the new platform on space innovation
- Find European space tech startups using the EPO’s Deep Tech Finder
- Join our online event on space innovation hosted by the EPO’s Observatory on Patents and Technology on 28 May (10.00 to 11.45 CET)
- Read the Patent insight report: Propulsion systems for space
Media contacts European Patent Office
Luis Berenguer Giménez
Principal Director Communication / EPO spokesperson
EPO press desk
press@epo.org
Tel.: +49 89 2399-1833
Mobile: +49 151 5440 3997
About the EPO
With 6 300 staff members, the European Patent Office (EPO) is one of the largest public service institutions in Europe. Headquartered in Munich with offices in Berlin, Brussels, The Hague and Vienna, the EPO was founded with the aim of strengthening co-operation on patents in Europe. Through the EPO's centralised patent granting procedure, inventors are able to obtain high-quality patent protection in up to 45 countries, covering a market of some 700 million people. The EPO is also the world's leading authority in patent information and patent searching.
Spotlight on outstanding space tech inventors
Since 2006 the EPO’s European Inventor Award pays tribute to outstanding inventors behind some of the most ingenious inventions of our day, which are making an impact on the economy, jobs and our daily lives. Several finalists have been honoured for their work in space-related technologies:
- Luca Rossettini: the Italian aerospace engineer and founder of D-Orbit was a finalist for the European Inventor Award 2023 for developing an autonomous system to safely remove old or broken satellites, commonly known as "space garbage," from Earth's orbit.
- Frédérick Pasternak: the French engineer was a finalist for the European Inventor Award 2022 for his pioneering work on a satellite instrument that substantially improves infrared measurements to provide more accurate data for weather forecasts and climate predictions.
- Galileo team: A European team, led by French engineer Laurent Lestarquit and his Spanish colleague José Ángel Ávila Rodríguez and including German Günter Hein, Belgian Lionel Ries and Frenchman Jean-Luc Issler, won the European Inventor Award 2017 in the Research category for developing the radio signals behind Europe’s global satellite navigation system Galileo.