24 March 2026 | The European Patent Office (EPO) has released its Technology Dashboard 2025, highlighting the most patent-active universities across Europe and revealing emerging trends in innovation. Leading the ranking is the Technical University of Denmark, which filed 113 patent applications, the highest number of any European university and second globally among universities, behind the University of California.
Anders Bjarklev, DTU President, notes:
“DTU has been working systematically and intensively on innovation for more than a decade. And we continue to do so, because the future of Denmark and Europe depends on the will and ability to create new knowledge and bring it out into society, where it can be of benefit.”
Other members of the EuroTech Universities Alliance also feature prominently. The École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne ranks second with 103 applications, while Technical University of Munich ranks fifth with 67.
Top five European universities by EPO patent applications in 2025:
- Technical University of Denmark (DTU) – 113
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) – 103
- KU Leuven – 103
- ETH Zurich – 81
- Technical University of Munich (TUM) – 67
These results sit within the broader context of EuroTech’s Strategy 2030, where innovation and entrepreneurship are among the key pillars, and reflect the combined strengths of the Alliance members.
Find the full news release on the DTU’s website.