IPR-intensive industries drive nearly half of EU GDP, study finds

A new joint study by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) underscores the pivotal role that intellectual property rights (IPR)–intensive industries play in the European Union’s economy, labour market, and international trade.

The report finds that industries making intensive use of patents, trademarks and copyright are central drivers of GDP growth, job creation, cross-border trade and investment across the EU. These sectors cover a broad spectrum of economic activity: from technology and healthcare companies that rely heavily on patents, to clothing, food and luxury goods built on trademarks, as well as creative industries such as music, film and video games that depend on copyright protection. The report highlights particularly strong growth in pharmaceutical manufacturing, electronic component manufacturing and electricity production, illustrating the close link between innovation, IP protection and industrial performance in strategically important sectors.

The study is the fifth edition in a long-running series that has, for more than a decade, quantified the economic importance of intellectual property rights in the EU. For the first time, the study also integrates start-up funding data and reveals a strong, statistically significant positive correlation between IPR intensity and access to finance.

The study can be downloaded here:

EPO–EUIPO Joint Study: IP and Innovation in European Sectors