Market success for inventions. Patent Commercialisation Scoreboard: European SMEs

This study is the first of a series of patent commercialisation scoreboards using survey data to monitor the market success of European patents. The study shows that SMEs typically rely on European patents to protect inventions that they consider to have great potential in their industry. A large proportion of these patent protected inventions make it to market. Up to two thirds of SMEs commercially exploit their European patents. Every other patent is exploited via a partnership, most often with a partner in another European country. European patents make this much easier by providing protection in up to forty different national markets.