Business and statistics
Patents comprise valuable technical and legal information on existing inventions originating from relevant market participants. Performing statistical analysis of this data to understand the competitive landscape and identify upcoming trends helps to support business decisions on portfolio management and filing strategies.
Introducing a product into a market without analysing the patent situation can be very risky. But studying existing solutions can help to build on existing solutions instead of reinventing them. Statistical analysis of patent information supports informed decision-making based on patent analytics and patent evaluation. Read on for information on what the EPO and partner organisations have to offer.
- Patent analytics
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Patent analytics helps to widen the view from the narrow scope of single inventions to understanding the bigger picture. Statistical analyses of patent data allow you to identify upcoming trends and understand the competitive landscape.
Patent insight reports
Patent insight reports contain practical examples of how to conduct patent analyses. You can adapt or reuse the search strategies and utilise the data at any time.
Access our latest patent insight reports
Espacenet
Create basic statistics with the free database Espacenet using the filter module as explained in the pocket guide and this video recording (20:17 min.).
Global Patent Index (GPI)
To create more advanced statistical analyses based on complex searches see also this video.
PATSTAT
PATSTAT helps you perform sophisticated statistical analyses of bibliographical and legal status patent data using the structured query language (SQL).
Additional information
- Patent evaluation
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Research shows that the value of patents differs considerably. Analysing patent portfolios helps to identify most important patents and how they contribute to the overall value of the business. While quantitative valuation focuses on determining a monetary value (one dimensional), qualitative patent evaluation checks how inventions score on various aspects (e.g. technology, market, legal, financing and strategic). Patent evaluation helps to align the patent strategy with the overall business model in order to optimise the own patent portfolio and to identify acquisition targets.
IPscore
IPscore is a tool to evaluate patents, technologies and research projects. A total of 40 assessment factors help to assess technological, legal, marketing, financial and strategic aspects of the analysed inventions. The assessment factors can be customised according to the specific circumstances. To ensure the confidentiality of your data, IPscore is used offline.
Additional information
FAQ Patent management and evaluation
- More EPO activities
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Business area of the European Patent Academy
The European Patent Academy aims to help businesses - particularly SMEs and start-ups -and policymakers make the best use of the intellectual property system. Highlights include SME case studies, a dedicated initiative for high growth technology businesses and ip4inno - IP strategy for business.
Business area of the European Patent Academy
E-learning: IP strategy for business
Chief Economist Unit
The EPO Chief Economist Unit (CEU) aims to provide high-level expertise and analysis and foster well-informed policy debate on issues relating to patents. To this end, the CEU regularly publishes studies that show the importance of patenting.
EPO statistics and trends
Visit our new Statistics & Trends Centre for interactive charts and graphs or access reports and downloads below.
Platforms on topics of interest
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an urgent search for vaccines, treatments and technologies that can counter the spread of disease and save lives. The technical information published in patents advances human knowledge, helping researchers everywhere to understand the latest inventions. On the Fighting coronavirus platform , EPO patent examiners and data analysts have compiled about 300 datasets to support the important work of clinicians, scientists and engineers. Check out the search queries and reuse them for your own purpose.
Stay up to date and learn more about topics that are in focus.
Patent information centres (PATLIB)
If you lack the time, resources or experience for patent analytics and patent management, our single access portal helps you find PATLIB centres offering the following services: statistical analysis of patent data or assessment of economic potential of an invention (select respective service).
- Publications of external partners
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- OECD: Patent Statistics Manual and Intellectual property (IP) statistics and analysis
- EU Science Hub at Joint Research Centre: Patent statistics
- European Space Policy Institute (ESPI): Patent statistics
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA): Patent Evolution
- WIPO: Repository of own patent landscape reports and studies of other organisations