Space innovation

Space innovation allows us to discover new worlds and expands our understanding of the cosmos. But is also critical for the development of technologies addressing pressing challenges and improving life on Earth. The growing engagement of private actors has accelerated the pace of space innovation, increasing the need to track new developments. What does the future hold in this fascinating domain?

This platform offers a real-time window into the state of innovation in two important domains of space: cosmonautics and space observation. It aims to support inventors, scientists, engineers, companies, policymakers, space agencies and scholars in accessing patent information containing some of the most advanced technical knowledge on space innovation. See our demonstration video.

Find out which technologies are out there! The EPO's examiners have gathered their expertise to offer you a precise mapping of space patents to space concepts of interest. The platform allows you to:

  • Identify patents mapped to over 60 relevant concepts of cosmonautics and space observation, along with bibliographic information (e.g. title, abstract, applicants, inventors and more).
  • Effortlessly display descriptive statistics for each space concept (e.g. patent counts per year, applicant, inventor, country and technology class).
  • Retrieve the Espacenet query used to identify patents within a given space concept and tailor it to specific needs (e.g. broaden or narrow the search).

The search queries result from the synergy of expert patent examiners and analysts from the European Patent Office (EPO), European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the national patent offices of Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland and the United Kingdom who have joined forces to support scientists and innovators in their endeavours.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

This platform contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 9

UN SDG 9

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation. This SDG aims to enhance access to technology and increase connectivity to support economic growth and development.