European patents are not just for big industry applicants. Around 18% of patent
applications filed at the EPO by European applicants come from small or
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individual inventors, with a further 10% from
universities and public research organisations from which SMEs are often spun off
to commercialise new technologies. Therefore, SMEs that use European patents
are typically driven by innovation and focused on scaling up their activities.
This section looks at how new and established SMEs use IP to protect and market
their inventions as well as leverage them to secure higher margins, license
technology, establish collaboration agreements with partners and attract
investors.
SME case studies
The EPO has produced a series of case studies on European SMEs which are leveraging the power of patents and other IP rights to achieve business success. These case studies show how SMEs use IP to their advantage.
Support for high-growth technology businesses
A major driver of Europe's economic growth, high-growth technology businesses are typically SMEs or start-ups that succeed in bringing innovation to established and new industry sectors.
This section provides information for businesses looking to successfully commercialise their technologies.
