Patenting clean technology is rising strongly in Europe – Finland's performance does not stand out
Patenting clean technology, or cleantech innovations*) is strongly on the rise. In 2012, approximately 183,000 cleantech innovations were made. Since 2005, the number has almost doubled. During this period patenting increased by just 26%. The share of cleantech innovations among all inventions has increased significantly, from 4.8% to 6.6% during the same period. According to the available patent information, the same tendency has continued during the last few years.
Of the Nordic countries, Denmark has excelled in cleantech, if we compare patenting activity by population size. Denmark has made a particularly large number of innovations in wind power technology and systems, but also in many other fields of technology. By contrast, Finnish and Swedish innovators do not stand out from the crowd in protecting cleantech innovations. Both countries produce yearly about 140–150 cleantech innovations per one million inhabitants, whereas the figure in Denmark is well over 250. The patenting of such innovations has increased in Finland too, but the increase has been more significant in Denmark and many other countries in Europe.
Among all European countries, the number of cleantech patents made in Germany is in a class of its own; and globally, only China, the USA and Japan are ahead of Germany. The activity by German innovators in relation to the population size is the highest in Europe after Denmark and almost three times that of Great Britain and France. Another example is patenting associated with energy-efficient building, architecture and traffic, where Germany by population size is almost three times more active than Finland.
*) Cleantech innovations are made in various fields of technology, including battery technology, solar panels, wind power, charging and battery systems for electric cars. If innovations are measured in numbers, the most protected fields of technology in Finland are those associated with energy-efficient ICT technology, processing solid and liquid waste, energy-efficient production technology and non-fossil fuels.
For more information, please contact:
Ari Hottinen
Patent Examiner
Finnish Patent and Registration Office
Tel. 029 509 5034
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