Philips Tops European Patent Office Medtech Filings in 2024
Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, announced that it was the leading applicant in the field of medical technology at the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2024. The company filed 594 Medtech patent applications, underscoring its commitment to transforming healthcare through informatics and AI. This technology improves workflows, enhances care quality, and lowers patient care costs.
Philips, with 134 years of innovation, improved the health and well-being of nearly 2 billion people in 2024. The company is on track to improve the lives of 2.5 billion people by 2030.
“For more than 130 years, Philips has been at the forefront of innovations improving people’s lives. The 2024 European patent rankings show how we continue to innovate in the hospital and the home – helping to deliver better care for more people. To continue driving greater impact, we have shifted our innovation closer to customers. We want to help healthcare professionals improve patient care and empower people everywhere to take care of their health and well-being.” – Roy Jakobs, CEO of Royal Philips
Approximately half of Philips’ R&D investments focus on informatics and AI, which create value in healthcare settings. In 2024, Philips launched several informatics and AI-powered innovations:
- The new Azurion image-guided therapy system with advanced informatics to enhance minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment of stroke and other neurovascular patients.
- FDA-cleared AI tools integrated into the EPIQ CVx and Affiniti CVx ultrasound systems, advancing cardiovascular imaging and increasing automation and productivity. Philips maintains its #1 global position in cardiovascular ultrasound.
- The new Philips Spectral CT 7500 RT, which enables personalized radiation therapy planning to deliver better care to more cancer patients.
- FDA approval for the LumiGuide Navigation Wire, which uses fiber optic technology to reduce radiation for patients and physicians during minimally invasive surgery.
Philips contributed 1,231 European patent applications across various domains, the most of any Dutch company. The company has been a top applicant since the EPO began publishing rankings in 2004.
Philips’ innovation leadership is further demonstrated by its recent inclusion in the Clarivate Top 100 Global Innovators 2025. This marks the company’s 12th consecutive appearance in this major assessment of global innovators.
In 2024, Philips invested approximately EUR 1.7 billion in research and development, or more than 9% of sales. This is well above the industry average. The company’s intellectual property portfolio includes 50,500 patent rights, 30,500 trademarks, 150,000 design rights, and 3,200 domain names.
