INESC TEC is the Portuguese institution with the highest number of patent applications in Europe
The latest study by the European Patent Office (EPO) - The Technology Transfer Challenge in Europe: Turning Research into Commercial Success - ranks INESC TEC first among Portuguese organisations for the number of European patent applications, with 14 applications filed, five of them jointly owned with the University of Porto. The Institute has steadily reinforced the position in this area over the years. Since 2017, INESC TEC has consistently ranked among Portugal’s top 10 applicants, reaching third place in the overall ranking last year.
22nd October 2026
The latest figures place the University of Porto in second place, with 13 patent applications, followed by the University of Coimbra, with 11. NOVA University Lisbon (10) and the University of Aveiro (9) complete the top five. The main technology fields covered by these institutions’ patent applications include computer technology, engineering, biotechnology and medical technology.
Daniel Vasconcelos, Head of INESC TEC’s Technology Transfer Office (TTO), explained that the applications cover areas like photonics and advanced sensing, digital health, clean energy and smart grids, as well as robotics, computer vision and digital twins. He added that “patents, as intellectual property rights, give the partners needed to continue the journey from the laboratory to the real world confidence to invest across various dimensions. A focus on impact, together with the way organisations such as INESC TEC and other research and technology organisations (RTOs) are structured, makes intellectual property management more efficient, including internationally oriented patent protection”.
The European Patent Office’s Deep Tech Finder (DTF) tool has also been expanded to include additional data on European public research institutions, helping strengthen links between research organisations, companies and investors. According to the DTF data, Portugal ranks 15th in Europe for the number of research spin-offs filing patent applications with the EPO, with 53 Portuguese spin-offs listed in the tool. Of these, 42 (79.2%) are at an early growth stage, seeking to turn their technologies into market-ready products and secure funding to expand their operations. Another three companies (5.7%) are at the breakout stage, two (3.8%) have reached an advanced growth stage, and six (11.3%) have been acquired by larger companies.
INESC TEC has also played a significant role in this area, with seven spin-offs already in the portfolio. “Spin-offs are the type of organisation in which it is easiest to bring together talent, outstanding technology supported by an appropriate intellectual property strategy, funding and a solid plan to engage partners and reach customers,” Daniel Vasconcelos explained. He stressed that “spin-offs maximise social impact because, beyond making technology available in the form of a product or service, they create highly skilled jobs, strengthen regional, national and European value chains, foster collaboration in tackling new scientific challenges and help build a genuine innovation ecosystem”.
Europe’s landscape and international challenges
Overall, 90.5% of the 809 technology transfer offices analysed in the study are small or medium-sized, while only 9.5% are large.
Patents involving universities account for around 9% of European patents, a figure close to that recorded in the United States. European universities also retain ownership of a much higher proportion of their inventions than they did 20 years ago. However, 40.7% of patents held by European universities cease to be in force within the first 10 years, compared with 26.3% in the United States.
In addition, the number of European patent applications involving universities, public research organisations or research hospitals has more than doubled over the past two decades, rising from around 3,200 in 2006 to almost 8,000 in 2025. Germany, France and the United Kingdom remain the leading countries, although their combined share has fallen from almost 64% to around 55%.
In 2025, research institutions were applicants in approximately 34% of European-origin patent applications in biotechnology, 29% in quantum technologies and 26% in the pharmaceutical industry.
The study was developed in liaison with ASTP, the European association of knowledge transfer professionals, and Fraunhofer ISI. It combines patent analysis with the findings of a survey of more than 800 European technology transfer offices. The report examines how universities and public research organisations turn research results into innovation, businesses and societal impact, and identifies key priorities for strengthening technology transfer and the commercialisation of research in Europe.