20/07/2022 (Agence Europe) – The number of annual space launches has risen to around 500 in recent years, leading to an increase in patent applications, the European Patent Office said, on Wednesday 20 July, in a joint report on the subject by the European Patent Office (EPO), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI). The main European innovators come from Germany or France, or to a lesser extent from the UK, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands or Switzerland. The three most important technology areas in terms of patents are: spacecraft electrical power, space system control and propulsion. However, the field of space debris is emerging as a potential new area of invention, invigorated by current issues of space safety and sustainability. For more information: https://aeur.eu/f/2pa (PH)