For the first time in a decade, Belgium has filed more patents for medical technology than for biotechnology, according to 2025 figures from the European Patent Office (EPO).
The shift is driven by strong growth in the medtech sector, which has become the leading domain for Belgian patent applications.
Belgian companies and inventors filed 2,548 European patent applications last year, a decrease of 2.6% compared to the record year of 2024. Despite this slight drop, Belgium retains its place in the European innovation elite, ranking 10th in patent applications per capita, consistent with previous years.
The number of Belgian patent applications in medical technology rose sharply, increasing by more than 54% (54.4%). This marks the first time in ten years that the sector has taken the lead.
The rise is particularly notable compared to the European average, where patent applications in the sector grew by just 1%.
By contrast, other key domains, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, materials and metallurgy, civil engineering and computer technology, recorded declines in Belgium, with several sectors underperforming relative to the broader European trend.
Belgium also stands out for its high level of female participation in innovation. As in 2024, women were involved in 32% of patent applications, placing the country third among EPO filers – well above the European average of 26%.
The Leuven-based research centre imec remained the country's largest patent applicant, followed by speciality chemicals company Syensqo and materials group Umicore.
Overall, the total number of patent applications filed with the EPO surpassed 200,000 for the first time in 2025.
