World IP Day: EPO Reveals 33% Jump in Cleantech Inventions Over Five Years

On World IP Day, the European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) released a joint report that highlights the increase of clean and sustainable inventions created in the European Union (EU).

According to the report, titled ‘Financing and Commercialisation of Cleantech Innovation’, more than 750,000 inventions were published for clean and sustainable technologies between 1997 and 2021, representing nearly 12% of all inventions during this period.

For World Intellectual Property Review, Finnegan partner Janina Wortmann highlighted the crucial role of IP in the advancement of sustainable tech.

“New and sustainable products can often be protected by registered or—depending on the jurisdiction—even unregistered designs. Companies that develop innovative services that help achieve Sustainable Development Goals can protect their newly developed brands with the help of trademarks,” she said.

“IP protection plays an important role when it comes to motivating companies to invest in more sustainable products, technologies, and services,” she added.

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