A market for Green patents? Analysis of ownership changes in environmental technologies from Spain

Speaker: Dr Cristina Penasco, Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge

Spain has 1.2% of the total patents applications on environmental technologies worldwide which places the country in the Top-20 in global terms and in ninth position at European level. The registry of property changes maintained by patent offices is a source of information little explored that allows to analyse in detail many of the characteristics of the technologies transferred, as well as the strategies of their owners. Based on the European Patent Office (EPO) registry, analysis shows that of the 1276 Spanish green patent applications registered in the EPO between 1979 and 2013, 13% have reported changes of ownership.

The most dynamic sector, both for the patent applications and for changes in ownership, is that of renewable energy. Similarly, as in other countries, it is observed that most of the changes occur between companies belonging to the same business group, so it is not yet possible to speak of a true green technology market.

A part of the the CEENRG Thursday Seminars series.