New EPO study: Austria top in innovation in the fight against cancer

Despite advances in research and technology, cancer remains a global threat to health. According to the European Cancer Information System (ECIS), almost one in three men (31%) and one in four women (25%) in the European Union (EU) is diagnosed with cancer before they reach the age of 75. In the EU alone, more than five million lives have been saved thanks to inventions in oncology. To mark World Cancer Day on February 4, the European Patent Office (EPO) has published a new study on patents and innovations in the fight against cancer. It examines technological progress in this field. Between 2015 and 2021, inventions in the fight against cancer increased by 70% - measured by the annual number of international patent families (IPF) in this field. Austria has also contributed to this development. In the last 20 years, 647 international patent families have been filed by Austrian companies and research institutions. The country ranks eleventh in Europe for patented cancer-fighting technologies.

• Austria ranks 11th in Europe and 21st worldwide for patented technologies in the fight against cancer.
• In Europe, the number of International Patent Families (IPFs) has increased by more than 70 percent since 2015: More than five million lives have been saved in the EU thanks to advances in diagnosis and treatment.
• Universities and public research institutes are the driving forces in the fight against cancer.
• The European Patent Office (EPO) offers free online tools to simplify access to cancer research information and technologies.

More information: 

• Study: Patents and innovation against cancer
• Deep Tech Finder 
• Technologies combatting cancer
• Innovators in cancer technology