The UPC, Spain’s leading university for European patent filings
The UPC is the Spanish university that filed the highest number of European patent applications in 2024, according to data from the European Patent Office. The UPC’s filings rose by more than 30% compared to the previous year.
Apr 16, 2025
The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) once again ranks among the leading European universities in Europe for innovation and technology transfer. The latest figures published by the European Patent Office (EPO) confirm this, placing the UPC at the top of the list of Spanish universities in terms of European patent applications, with 17 filings in 2024—four more than the previous year (see the 2014–2023 evolution chart). Overall, the UPC is ranked seventh in Spain among all filing entities, behind institutions such as the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the company Amadeus S.A.S. and the Fundación Tecnalia Research & Innovation.
Between 2000 and 2020, the UPC filed 298 European patent applications, consolidating its position as one of Spain’s top institutions in innovation. Over this period, it ranked among the five Spanish universities with the highest patent output and among the top three in Catalonia, according to the EPO’s Observatory on Patents and Technology. Between 2000 and 2024, the UPC submitted a total of 343 patent applications.
At the European level, universities are stepping up their patent activity, now accounting for 10.2% of all filings. In Spain, this figure rises to 14.6%.
A strong growth trend in innovation and patents in Spain
The number of patent applications in Spain has grown steadily over the past decade, reaching 2,192 filings in 2024—up 3% from the previous year and 44% compared to ten years ago. This growth outpaces that of other major European economies, including Germany (0.9% in the same period), France (2%), Italy (22%), the United Kingdom (20%) and Poland (22%). Despite this positive trend, Spain still lags behind in absolute numbers: Germany registered over 25,000 patent applications, France nearly 11,000 and the United States more than 47,000.
Within Spain, Catalonia remains the main hub for patent filings, followed by Madrid, the Basque Country and Andalusia. At the European level, Catalonia ranks 18th among regions with the highest number of patent applications, standing out in strategic sectors such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology and biotechnology.
What is a patent and why does it matter to the UPC?
A patent is an exclusive right granted by a government or international body to protect an invention, preventing third parties from making, using or selling it without permission for a set period of time. For the UPC, filing patents is essential to safeguard the technological advances developed by its research groups and to facilitate their application in society through technology transfer agreements with companies and institutions.
Researchers at the UPC who protect their inventions through patents gain several advantages. These include the opportunity to commercialise their innovations through licensing or spin-offs, increased visibility for their work and institutional and academic recognition. Additionally, patents help forge strategic collaborations with industry and boost the University’s capacity to attract funding for new projects.
Training in intellectual and industrial property
To promote knowledge protection and support technology transfer, the UPC, in collaboration with its Doctoral School and the European Patent Office (EPO), has launched the course Create – Protect – Innovate as part of the Modular IP Education Framework (MIPEF). The course runs from 24 March to 25 June. It attracted around 60 participants in its initial phase, and is aimed at doctoral students and researchers interested in gaining a solid introduction to intellectual and industrial property rights.
It offers a practical overview of how to protect intangible assets and incorporate them into business strategies through live sessions and expert-led forums. Upon completion of the modules, participants receive an official certificate from the EPO. This initiative represents a key opportunity to deepen the culture of innovation protection at the University.
