27 | 10 | 2016

The study titled “Intellectual property rights intensive industries and economic performance in the European Union” published

Photo : FreeImages.com/H Berends

The study titled “Intellectual property rights intensive industries and economic performance in the European Union” is a joint project between the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the European Patent Office (EPO) and it represents a continuation of earlier research conducted in the period 2008-2010; the findings revealed that intellectual property rights intensive industries accounted for 39% of the EU’s economic output and 26% of employment in the European Union in total.

The recent economic study represents the update of the previous results, and it covers the period 2011-2013. The study results indicate that IPR-intensive industries are integral to GDP, employment and trade, and their contribution to the European economy has grown since the first study. The study covers the following intellectual property rights: trade marks, patents, industrial designs, copyright, geographical indications and plant variety rights, and considers a variety of economic indicators such as GDP, employment, external trade and wages. Unlike the previous one, the present study includes data for the Republic of Croatia as well.

The study results find that IPR-intensive industries generated 27.8% of all jobs in the European Union during the reporting period and 60 million Europeans were employed by IPR-intensive industries. In addition, another 22 million jobs were generated in the related industries i.e. in industries that supply goods and services to the IPR-intensive industries. Over the same period, IPR-intensive industries generated 42% of total economic activity (GDP) in the European Union, worth € 5.7 trillion. They also accounted for most of the EU’s trade with the rest of the world, thus generating a trade surplus. IPR-intensive industries pay 46% higher wages over other industries.

IPR-intensive industries have also proved most resilient to negative effects of the economic crisis.

Information summary of the study is translated into Croatian and can be accessed via the link, and the entire study can be accessed via the link.