U.Porto stands out as the most innovative Portuguese university, leading the collective effort of national institutions that helped place Portugal in 17th place in the European academic patent ranking.
These figures were published in The Role of European Universities in Patenting and Innovation, in October 2024 by the European Patent Office (EPO). According to the document, from 2000 to 2020, the University of Porto was responsible for over a quarter (207) of the 818 European patent applications submitted by higher education institutions in Portugal.
The report's conclusions highlight the entrepreneurial spirit of U.Porto's scientific ecosystem, which stands out as the only Portuguese university to surpass the 200 academic patent applications mark.
U.Porto thus consolidates a leadership position already achieved in previous years, notably in 2023, when 29 of the 329 European patent applications in Portugal originated from the University of Porto or its Associated Institutes. In 2023, companies, universities, and public laboratories contributed to a total of 329 applications, nearly tripling the number achieved ten years ago (113 applications).
Internally collected data from U.Porto, as shown in the image, indicate the support provided to 206 inventors, 592 active patents, and 73 patents granted in 2023 (6 national and 67 international).
The consistency of this top position in the European academic patent field reflects the University of Porto's commitment to research and innovation.
At the national level, according to the EPO report, Portuguese universities contributed 0.76% of all academic patents registered in Europe between 2000 and 2020. The list is led by countries such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy, but Portugal’s performance – with U.Porto at the forefront – highlights the growing impact of national universities on the European innovation landscape.
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