In a joined press release from 25 September European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) announced the results of an executed study done in a joint project between the European Patent Office and the European Union Intellectual Property Office about the IPR-intensive industries and economic performance in the European Union.
The main findings of the study are:
- IPR-intensive industries generated 29.2% (63 million) of all jobs in the EU during the period 2014-2016.
- 38.9% of all employment in the EU (83.3 million) can be attributed, directly or indirectly, to IPR-intensive industries
- 45% of the total economic activity (GDP) in the EU is attributable to IPR-intensive industries, worth EUR 6.6 trillion
- IPR-intensive industries pay significantly higher wages than other industries, with a wage premium of 47%
- IPR-intensive industries accounted for most of the EU’s trade with the rest of the world and generated a trade surplus, thus helping to keep the EU’s external trade broadly balanced
ABOUT THE EPO
With nearly 7 000 staff, the European Patent Office (EPO) is one of the largest public service institutions in Europe. Headquartered in Munich with offices in Berlin, Brussels, The Hague and Vienna, the EPO was founded with the aim of strengthening co-operation on patents in Europe. Through the EPO’s centralised patent granting procedure, inventors are able to obtain high-quality patent protection in up to 44 countries, covering a market of some 700 million people. The EPO is also the world’s leading authority in patent information and patent searching.
ABOUT THE EUIPO
The EUIPO is a decentralised agency of the EU, based in Alicante, Spain. It manages the registration of the European Union trade mark (EUTM) and the registered Community Design (RCD), both of which provide intellectual property protection in all EU Member States. The EUIPO also carries out cooperation activities with the national and regional intellectual property offices of the EU.
Source: EUIPO
