New record for Italian innovation in 2020. Despite the economic crisis triggered by the health crisis, innovative Italy, that of research and patents, is growing. There are 4.465 les Italian patent applications published by the European patent office (Ero) in 2020, against 4.242 in 2019 (+5,3%). Since 2008, there have been almost 52 Italian inventions protected at European level and almost 80% are due to subjects (companies, research institutions and natural persons) residing in the northern regions. This is shown by the analysis carried out by Unioncamere–Dintec, based on patents published by the EPO between 2019 and 2020.
Most of the patents that see the light in Italy have to do with the "human needs"And"industrial techniques and transport” (respectively 23,1% and 30,5%). The first includes patents relating to different fields of activity: from agriculture to clothing, passing through tobacco and sport; in the second, manufacturing and automotive technologies.
Compared to the pre-pandemic year, the greatest increases mainly concern some sectors: +52,7% for innovations concerning textile products , letter (from 75 to 115) and +10,5%, for "human needs" (935 patents published in 2019, 1.033 in 2020). On the other hand, mechanical engineering (-5,1%) and fixed construction (-2,8%)
One patent out of 5 of those published in 2020 refers to KET (Key enabling technologies), i.e. the technologies that the European Commission has defined as enabling in all respects: biotech, photonics, advanced materials, nano and micro-electronics, nanotechnologies and manufacturing advanced. And it is precisely the latter, the robot technology, takes further steps forward: in 2020 there are 53 more patent applications here, for a total of 670 published. Photonics, used for data transmission within optical fibers, is also doing well, registering 25 more patents than the previous year, for a total of 74 inventions published in 2020.
In first place in the regional ranking is the Lombardia with 1.506 patent applications against 1.382 of the previous year; they follow theEmilia Romagna with 703 patents (slightly down from 741 in 2019), the Veneto with 596 (against 754 in 2019). Off the podium the Piemonte which is close to 500, with 480 against the 395 patents of the previous year; Tuscany just above Lazio (respectively with 252 applications and 239). Among the provinces, however, Milan leads with 763 applications in 2022, followed by Turin (322) and Bologna (320), in fourth place Rome with 217 applications.
