EPO study exposes gaps in patent funding
A new EPO study highlights gaps in patent funding, long-term protection and technology transfer capacity that could hinder Europe’s ability to commercialize academic research
European universities and public research institutions are playing an increasingly important role in pharmaceutical innovation, but a new European Patent Office (EPO) study highlights significant challenges in turning patented discoveries into commercial products.
‘Europe’s Technology Transfer Landscape ’ reveals that European research institutions accounted for 26% of European patent applications originating in Europe in pharmaceuticals in 2025.
António Campinos, President of the EPO, stressed the importance of patents in commercializing scientific discoveries: “Patents have an important role to play in that journey. By establishing clear and transferable rights, they facilitate collaboration, licensing and the investment needed to develop early-stage inventions,” he wrote in the report’s foreword.
However, Campinos cautioned that intellectual property protection alone is insufficient: “What happens around the patent - the expertise, funding, incentives, networks and people that move an invention forward - is just as important.”
The findings highlight particular challenges for pharmaceutical inventions, which often require lengthy development and substantial investment before reaching the market.
Patent maintenance remains a significant concern. The report finds that 40.7% of directly owned European academic patents lapse within ten years, compared with 26.3% of equivalent US academic patents. These figures cover academic patents across technology sectors, rather than pharmaceuticals specifically.
Resource constraints also affect technology transfer offices (TTOs), which manage patent protection, licensing and industry partnerships. Around 90% of the 809 European TTOs analysed are small or mid-scale organisations.
Campinos highlighted challenges ranging from reliable patent budgets and specialist skills to accessing investors and international markets.
“The message is clear: Europe does not need a single TTO model, but it does need stronger and better-connected technology transfer capabilities,” he concluded.
For Europe's pharmaceutical sector, the findings underline the importance of sustained patent protection, specialist expertise and commercial partnerships in transforming publicly funded research into new medicines.