Europe has a strong research and innovation base in advanced materials, but turning this scientific and technological strength into market value remains a significant challenge. A recently published Patent Landscape Analysis on Advanced Materials examines how intellectual assets in this strategic field are protected, managed and commercialised, while comparing Europe’s performance with the United States and China.
Covering patent activity from 2010 to 2024 across mobility, construction, energy, electronics and medical devices, the study reveals an important distinction between patent quantity and quality. Although European companies and public research organisations file fewer patents than their counterparts in the US and China, European portfolios demonstrate strong international orientation, citation performance and shares of triadic patent families, with particular strengths in energy, medical and electronics materials.
From a knowledge valorisation perspective, however, the study highlights persistent barriers between intellectual asset creation and successful market uptake. Long development timelines, high costs, limited IP expertise and an investment gap around TRL 4–5 can hinder promising technologies as they move towards commercial application. Challenges also remain in industry–academia collaboration, where widespread cooperation does not necessarily translate into jointly owned or successfully exploited results.
The findings underline the importance of strengthening the conditions surrounding intellectual assets, not only their protection, but also their management, financing, licensing and exploitation. Among the policy options identified are stronger valorisation frameworks, clearer patenting guidance, increased support for technology scale-up and collaborative licensing mechanisms such as patent pools and clearinghouses.
The study therefore offers valuable insights for the wider European innovation ecosystem: maintaining Europe’s strength in advanced materials will depend not only on generating high-quality research and intellectual assets, but also on creating effective pathways that enable these assets to reach industry, attract investment and generate economic and societal value.