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Austrian European Patent Filings Rise Sharply
Following the Austrian Patent Office's 2025 annual report, which already showed a clear rise in national filings, the EPO's Technology Dashboard 2025 (formerly Patent Index) now confirms the trend: European patent applications from Austria are on the rise.
Austrian companies and inventors submitted 2,253 European patent applications in 2025 – up 5% year on year, outpacing both the EU and global averages. This places Austria 16th worldwide – and even 8th on a per capita basis. By far the most European patent applications worldwide come from companies in the USA (47,008), followed by Germany (24,476), and China (22,031). The strongest EU countries in the top 10, alongside Germany, are France (10,932), the Netherlands (7,006), and Italy (4,767).
Stefan Harasek, President of the Austrian Patent Office: "These five percent are very encouraging. They show that Austrian companies are investing more in innovation again – and increasingly with an international perspective."
Strong in Special Machinery and High-Tech
Electrical Machinery, Apparatus and Energy" again topped the list of technology fields with the most European patent applications from Austria (223), followed by "Civil Engineering" (157) and "Other Special Machinery" (155). The latter also saw the strongest growth, up 37.2%, and covers areas such as 3D printing machines and various industrial production tools.
Among Austrian companies, plastics manufacturer Borealis leads with 173 applications – as in previous years. It is followed by Voestalpine (85), Julius Blum (73), Tridonic (62) and AMS-Osram (43).
The EPO Technology Dashboard also shows that the Unitary Patent – the most direct route to protection across 18 EU member states – is becoming increasingly popular in Austria. 755 of the 1,438 European patents granted to Austrian applicants in 2025 were converted into unitary protection. At 52.5% (2024: 46.6%), Austria sits well above the EU average of 40.7% – and far above the global average of 28.7%.
More information: EPO Technology Dashboard
24. March 2026
