EPO Technology Dashboard 2025: Republic of Korea nears 10% growth amidst record demand for European patents

• Korean innovators filed 14,355 European patent applications in 2025, marking a 9.5% increase compared with the previous year 
• Republic of Korea is fifth-largest patent filing country at the European Patent Office (EPO)
• Second fastest growth rate among the top ten countries
• Korean companies and inventors filed more patent applications for battery technologies, mobile networks, computers, AI and semiconductors
• Samsung tops the EPO applicant ranking in 2025 for the second consecutive year, with LG ranking third
• Applications at the EPO exceed 200,000 for the first time

MUNICH, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The European Patent Office (EPO) received a record 201,974 patent applications last year, according to the EPO Technology Dashboard 2025 (formerly Patent Index) published today. Patent filings at the EPO increased by 1.4% in 2025 marking a return to steady growth, and for the first time demand surpassed 200,000.

Korean companies and inventors filed 14,355 European patent applications in 2025, marking a 9.5% year-on-year increase. This represents the second-fastest growth rate among the top ten countries, surpassed only by China. Patent filings from the Republic of Korea have risen steadily in recent years, and have more than doubled over the past decade, rising from 6,687 in 2016.

The United States remained the largest country of origin for European patent filings, followed by Germany. For the first time, China (with applications increasing by +9.7% in 2025) overtook Japan (+1.1%) to become the third-largest country of origin, with Republic of Korea rounding out the top five.

Korean innovators strong in digital communication, battery technology, computers and semiconductors

The leading technology field for European patent applications from Republic of Korea in 2025 was electrical machinery, apparatus, energy, which includes inventions related to battery technologies. In electrical machinery R. Korea was the largest country of origin and applications from the country were up +26.0% compared to 2024 (well above the average growth rate of +5.3% at the EPO). In the battery technology sub-field, R. Korea has increased its share significantly in the past five years, from 22% in 2021 to 35% in 2025, boosted by a +34.9% growth from 2024 to 2025 (the strongest of any leading country). Three Korean companies were among the top battery technology applicants at the EPO in 2025, including LG (ranked no.1, 1295 applications), Samsung (ranked no.3 after LG, 958) and SK (ranking 5^th, 256 applications).

Digital communication was R. of Korea's second largest field for patent filings at the EPO, with the country ranked 3^rd behind the US and China. Korean applicants also recorded solid growth in this field, with patent filings rising by 22.1% compared with the previous year (well above the EPO average increase of +11.4% -- the fastest growing field at the EPO boosted by the global race to develop 6G network technologies.

Computer technology was the 3^rd largest field for Korean innovators, with filings declining –2.3% (contrary to the overall trend at the EPO of +6.1% growth). In Computer Technology, R. Korea ranks 5^th among the top global applicants with the US in the lead. In the sub-field Artificial Intelligence, Samsung (6^th with 83 patent applications) and LG (11^th with 35 patent applications) are ranked among the top companies.

R. Korea remains strong in Semiconductor technologies, with 921 applications (+7.8%), third after Europe and China, and led by Samsung — the No.1 semiconductor applicant in Europe in 2025, with LG ranked 4^th.      

Other areas where R. Korea showed growth include measurement (+40.8%) and transport (+29.2%), showing the increasing diversification of Korean innovation.

Overall at the EPO, the top three technology fields for European patent applications in 2025 were computer technology (+6.1%, driven by AI advances), digital communication (+11.4%, fuelled by the global race to develop 6G mobile network technologies) and electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (+5.3%, supported by a surge in battery innovation). 

Samsung remains top applicant for filings at the EPO

Samsung was the leading EPO applicant for the second year in a row (with 5,337 applications in 2025, +4.5%) followed by LG in no. 3 (with 4,464 filings, +23.2%). Together, Samsung and LG account for more than two-thirds (68%) of the country's total European patent applications. The top 10 also consists of 4 countries from Europe, 2 from each of China and the US.

Seoul is Korea's centre of innovation

Korea's major innovation hubs also feature prominently in the global ranking of cities filing European patent applications. Seoul ranks 6th worldwide with 6,466 applications, placing it among the world's strongest centres of technological activity. Suwon follows with 3,451 filings, and Yongin with 1,826, both securing positions within the top 15 global cities.

Seoul National University ranked among the world's leading university applicants, placing 13th globally with 52 European patent applications, reflecting its position as one of Asia's foremost research universities.

Unitary Patent continues to gain traction among Korean patent owners

The Unitary Patent, introduced in 2023, continuous to gain momentum, offering a simplified and cost-effective route to patent protection in Europe across 18 EU Member States through a single request to the EPO. More than 80 000 requests have been filed to date, with an overall uptake rate of 28.7% of all European patents granted in 2025. Korean innovators are making growing use of the system: In 2025, 19.1% of all European patents granted to Korean patent owners were converted into Unitary Patents, up from 18.9% in 2024.

Quote from EPO President António Campinos

"The record volume of patent applications underlines Europe's innovative capacity and its appeal as a global technology market. The Technology Dashboard 2025 tracks progress and gaps across industrial sectors, helping policymakers in Europe identify priority areas and target actions and investments to strengthen tech sovereignty and competitiveness. While the Unitary Patent is already removing barriers and accelerating the transition to a more integrated European innovation market, continued focus is needed, especially on strategic sectors such as AI, semiconductors, health and quantum technologies."

Further information

• EPO Technology Dashboard 2025  
• Statistics & Trends Centre
• Unitary Patent statistics
• Statistics page to download complete datasets (Excel) 
• EPO Data Hub mobile app
• Observatory on Patents and Technology
• Resources for startups and SMEs

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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 can obtain high-quality patent protection in up to 46 countries, covering a market of some 700 million people. The EPO is also the world's leading authority in patent information and patent searching.

About the EPO Technology Dashboard

 The EPO Technology Dashboard (the new name for the former annual Patent Index) is a tool for tracking global innovation trends, offering insights into European patent application activity across industries and regions. By analysing patent data, the dashboard serves as a barometer for technological progress, R&D investment, and competitiveness – helping businesses, policymakers, and researchers understand the changing dynamics of the current innovation landscape.