The University of Barcelona ranks first among Catalan universities in European patent applications
The University of Barcelona (UB) is the leading Catalan university in the number of European patent applications filed in 2025. This is according to the annual report published this week by the European Patent Office (EPO).
Across Spain, the University of Barcelona ranks second among universities in terms of European patent applications, behind the University of the Basque Country, in a ranking largely dominated by major research organisations and technology companies such as the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Autotech Engineering S.L. and Amadeus S.A.S., among others.
These figures consolidate the University of Barcelona as one of the key players in the innovation system in Catalonia, with a strong capacity to generate scientific knowledge and transfer it to industry and society.
“These results demonstrate the strength of the University of Barcelona’s knowledge transfer model and the ability of its researchers to generate impactful knowledge,” says Dr Mercè Segarra, Vice-Rector for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer at UB. “Protecting research results is a key step in turning them into solutions that benefit society.”
Most of UB’s patent applications are concentrated in fields such as medicine, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology—areas in which the University has a well-established track record. The faculties with the highest level of activity in this area are the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, and the Faculty of Biology.
This leadership is also the result of the work carried out by the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation (FBG), UB’s knowledge transfer office, which supports researchers throughout the entire process of valorisation and protection of research results. “Patent protection is a key tool to facilitate technology transfer and ensure that the most innovative results reach the market and generate impact,” highlights Inma Íñiguez, Head of Patents, Valorisation and Licensing at FBG.
Ranking prepared by the EPO on the ten organisations in Spain with the highest number of patent applications in 2025. Source: EPO
A consolidated track record in technology protection and transfer
In 1989, the University of Barcelona began managing the patent protection of research results generated at the institution. Since then, it has reached a cumulative total of well over one thousand patent applications filed.
During this period, more than 200 licensing agreements have been signed, enabling the transfer of a large number of University of Barcelona technologies to the industrial sector.
Technology licensing has also led to the creation of dozens of spin-off companies involving UB, such as Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech, ColorSensing, Gate2Brain, Virmedex and LogMeal.