In an event organized by Euronews titled "From Research to Global Impact: How Europe Can Win the Competitiveness Race," the European Patent Office (EPO) announced the launch of a new technology dashboard, a global data platform designed to support governments, researchers, and investors. This dashboard aims to identify emerging technologies early and provide evidence-based insights on how innovation evolves across sectors and regions, helping policymakers, investors, and innovators understand where innovation activities are accelerating and where support is most urgently needed.
Gil Requina, Head of Research and Policy at the European Patent Office, stated, "This is the link between what we do as a patent office and the information we can gather to support policymakers and researchers in the lab to determine where we should invest and when we should provide support."
Event Details
The dashboard is based on the extensive dataset of the European Patent Office regarding global patent applications, providing a more detailed and forward-looking view of innovation trends. The data shows that patent activity can provide an early signal of future market developments, often years before products reach consumers.
Preliminary data from the dashboard presents a mixed picture of innovation performance in Europe. Requina noted that the European Patent Office received over 200,000 patent applications in 2025, a record level reflecting the continued research output across the continent. He also pointed to strong growth in several key sectors, with patents related to computing technology increasing by nearly 10%, while quantum technologies, still in their early stages, saw a growth of 38%. Digital communications increased by 11%, partly driven by work on future sixth-generation technologies.
Background & Context
Despite these achievements, Requina highlighted the increasing global competition, noting that patents from China have seen significant growth in recent years, while the United States remains the largest single source of patent applications in Europe. Requina questioned, "There is no doubt that we have in Europe the minds, academic centers, and excellence... but how can we turn these research results into commercial successes?"
The main issue addressed in subsequent discussions was the fragmentation of the European market, which is seen as a major obstacle to growth. The President of the European Patent Office, Antonio Campinos, pointed to the administrative burdens that hinder the efficient transfer of technologies from the lab to the market. He explained that Europe often leads in research at early stages but tends to lose ground as technologies approach the marketing phase.
Impact & Consequences
The results of the dashboard reveal the weaknesses of the fragmented market in Europe, with many speakers indicating that this issue represents a major barrier to growth. Despite the continent's capacity for innovation, translating that into commercial success remains a challenge. For policymakers and business leaders, the message was that data alone is not enough; structural reforms are also required.
Efforts such as the "EU Inc" framework and the unified patent system aim to streamline company formation and protect intellectual property across borders. Campinos emphasized that reducing these barriers is essential for building larger scale. "We can create larger scale by reducing bureaucracy... by removing barriers," he said.
Regional Significance
In light of the increasing competition in the field of innovation, the role of the Arab region emerges as a potential player in this race. Arab countries can benefit from European experiences in fostering innovation by developing environments that encourage research and development. Additionally, investing in education and scientific research is a crucial step toward achieving this.
In conclusion, the technology dashboard provides a clearer picture of the innovation landscape in Europe. However, as many speakers pointed out, identifying trends is only the first step. "We know where the problem lies... now let’s be more proactive in addressing it," said Emmanuel Gueslin, CEO of Plus Foundation. It remains to be seen whether these insights will translate into global impact.