INPI Releases Study on Fast-Track Process for Green Patents in Brazil

In its latest publication on the Technological Radar, INPI released the study of the first Green Technologies Observatory, developed in partnership with Suframa and IFAM. This observatory gathers data on sustainable patents and analyzes 1,097 applications participating in the INPI’s “Green Patents” fast-track process between 2012 and August 2014.

Let’s see some of the key insights obtained from the study:

Green Patents in Numbers:

84% of applications have already received a decision

90% of the applications are invention patents

10% of the applications are utility model patents

591 green patents have been granted

On average, 100 requests were granted per year

Technology Categories in Terms of Application Numbers:

Waste Management: 666 applications

Alternative Energies: 433 applications

Sustainable Agriculture: 204 applications

Energy Conservation: 129 applications

Transportation: 59 applications

The Protagonists of Sustainable Innovation in Brazil:

78% of the patent applications were submitted by domestic applicants.

Vale S.A. ranked first as the largest applicant, with 30 patent applications, particularly in waste management. In second place is the American company XYLECO, INC., with 27 applications.

Among foreign applicants, the United States leads with 95 applications, followed by China with 20, Germany with 17, and the Netherlands with 15 applications.

Reflections on Green Patents:

The program reduces the decision-making time to 9 months, compared to the 4.5 years of the conventional patent process.

The study reveals that between 37% and 49% of green patents in Brazil are still in force, showing the strength of the innovation ecosystem and the market potential of sustainable technologies. However, the 30% rate of invalid patents highlights the challenges in maintaining patent protection, possibly related to the process’s complexity or the sector’s competitiveness.

One of the study’s key findings was the low representation of applications in the Amazon region, both in terms of applicants and bio-inputs. Despite its great potential for sustainable development, only 46 applications related to inputs or technologies for forest management were registered.

Do you know how the ‘Green Patents’ fast-track program can benefit your sustainable innovations?

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us at international@simoes-ip.com