A new study from the European Patent Office (EPO) reveals the UK as a leading European country in additive manufacturing (AM) innovation, also known as 3-D printing. The study says the UK accounts for 5% of AM patent applications at the EPO, putting it in second place behind Germany (with 19%).
European patent applications for AM increased at an average annual rate of 36% from 2015 to 2018, which is more than 10-times greater than the average yearly growth of all applications at the EPO combined in the same period (3.5%).
The report,
Patents and additive manufacturing — Trends in 3D printing technologies, further demonstrates that Europe is a global leader in AM, with European inventors and businesses accounting for almost half of AM patent applications filed with the EPO in the period from 2010 to 2018.
António Campinos, EPO president, said: “The surge in AM is part of the broader, rapid rise of digital technologies overall, confirming that the digital transformation of the economy is fully reflected in patent applications reaching the EPO.
“Europe has become a global hub for innovation in fast-growing digital fields, including additive manufacturing technologies. This strength is clearly reflected in the list of top AM applicants, with European inventors and businesses submitting almost half of the patent applications in the past decade.”
The report shows that the UK exhibits a high degree of specialisation in AM patenting with an RTA (revealed technological advantage) index of 1.2, which is one of the highest of all European countries. The data also shows that Derby is at number seven in a ranking of 15 major European AM innovation centres and by far the most important British region.
The study’s data further indicate that the impact of AM technologies spans a large variety of industries. Since 2010 the use of AM in the health sector has generated the greatest demand for patents (4,018 applications), followed by energy and transportation, both filing significant numbers of patent applications (2,001 and 961 respectively).
The study also shows that the top 25 applicants accounted for about 30% (or 6,548) of all AM patent applications filed between 2000 and 2018. Led by large US firms General Electric and United Technologies, with Europe’s Siemens in third place.
Rolls-Royce, with 248 EP applications, is at number seven and the third-largest company if only European companies are considered, followed by Renishaw and BAE Systems as the second- and third-largest UK applicants.