The European Patent Office (EPO) is mapping Europe’s deep tech ecosystem through the Deep Tech Finder. This tool provides insights into key players in disruptive innovation, patent trends, and investment activity, helping stakeholders track the evolution of deep technology.

The Deep Tech Finder is a digital tool launched by the EPO to track and analyze the landscape of deep tech startups, spin-offs, universities, and investors across Europe. It allows for research and discovery of where technological advancements are happening and which sectors attract the most innovation and investment. Key European Deep Tech hubs include London, Paris, Copenhagen, Zurich, Munich, Berlin, Eindhoven, and Stockholm, with dominant sectors ranging from AI and biotech to clean energy and quantum computing.

Why This Matters

Deep tech innovations drive economic growth, security, and technological sovereignty. Understanding investment flows, patent trends, and startup activity allows businesses, investors, and policymakers to anticipate future technological shifts, secure strategic partnerships, and enhance national competitiveness. With global challenges mounting, tracking emerging solutions is crucial.

What is Deep Tech?

Deep Tech refers to advanced, cutting-edge technologies that drive innovation in critical fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, quantum computing, advanced materials, clean energy, and industrial AI. Unlike conventional tech startups, Deep Tech companies focus on fundamental scientific and engineering breakthroughs, often requiring significant research and development (R&D) and long-term investment.

Key Points

• Deep Tech Finder – Key Capabilities
  • Identify startups & spin-offs leading disruptive innovation.
  • Explore universities & research institutions at the forefront of tech advancements.
  • Track patent trends to analyze technological progress.
  • Discover key investors funding deep tech projects.
• Major European Deep Tech Hubs
  • London (BioTech, CleanEnergy, QuantumComputing)
  • Paris (BioTech, MedTech, AI)
  • Copenhagen (CleanEnergy, MedTech)
  • Zurich (BioTech, Advanced Materials)
  • Munich (Advanced Materials, MedTech, Industrial AI)
  • Berlin (AI, BioTech)
  • Eindhoven (Semiconductor, Photonics)
  • Stockholm (MedTech, CleanEnergy)

---

What Next?

The next step involves leveraging the Deep Tech Finder to track, prioritize, and map technological solutions to global challenges. Analysts, investors, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and policymakers can use these insights to strategically position themselves in high-growth sectors and anticipate future breakthroughs.

For a broader perspective, OODA Loop’s framework for tracking technology solutions provides additional guidance:

Tracking, Prioritizing, and Mapping Technology Solutions to Global Challenges: Addressing global challenges such as national security threats and supply chain vulnerabilities requires a strategic approach to emerging technologies. Analytical tools are evolving to offer a strategic framework to prioritize innovation and map it to critical real-world problems. Understanding the broader innovation ecosystem—spanning academia, industry, and government—is essential for aligning technologies with societal needs.

The Deep Tech Finder is our latest discovery of a pivotal tool in the OODA Loop strategic framework for tracking, prioritizing, and mapping technology solutions to global challenges. By offering a comprehensive database of European universities, spin-outs, and startups with active patent applications, it will enable OODA Loop research efforts to:

• Identify Emerging Innovations: Access detailed information on cutting-edge technologies and scientific advancements poised to address pressing global issues.
• Assess Investment Opportunities: Evaluate the potential of various ventures by analyzing their patent portfolios, facilitating informed decision-making for investors and policymakers.
• Foster Strategic Collaborations: Connect with academic institutions and startups to form partnerships that accelerate the development and deployment of impactful solutions.

The Deep Tech Finder enhances the ability to systematically monitor and engage with technological developments, aligning innovation efforts with the resolution of critical global challenges.

Recommendations

1. For Investors – Utilize the Deep Tech Finder to identify high-potential startups and emerging market trends.
2. For Startups – Analyze patent trends and investor interest to align R&D efforts with market demand.
3. For Policymakers – Use insights from deep tech hubs to develop innovation-friendly policies and support strategic industries.
4. For Research Institutions – Leverage data to identify collaboration opportunities and enhance funding prospects.
5. For Industry Leaders – Monitor sectoral shifts to anticipate competitive threats and opportunities.

For Entrepreneurs

1. Leverage the Deep Tech Finder – Identify key investors, patent trends, and innovation hubs that align with your technology and business model.
2. Target High-Growth Sectors – Focus on emerging industries such as AI, MedTech, Clean Energy, and Advanced Materials where demand and investment are growing.
3. Secure Strategic Partnerships – Collaborate with universities, research institutions, and venture capital firms to accelerate R&D and commercialization.
4. Monitor Patent Trends – Use insights from deep tech patents to differentiate your technology and protect intellectual property (IP).
5. Attract Smart Capital – Align funding strategies with investors who have a track record in your sector, ensuring long-term support for scaling.

For Business Leaders

1. Stay Ahead of Disruptions – Monitor deep tech advancements to anticipate industry shifts and prevent disruption in your market.
2. Adopt Emerging Technologies – Assess which AI, biotech, quantum computing, or industrial AI solutions can drive efficiency and innovation in your business.
3. Invest in Future-Proof Strategies – Prioritize R&D and deep tech integration to maintain a competitive edge in your industry.
4. Build a Deep Tech Talent Pipeline – Engage with top universities and research hubs to recruit leading talent in key technology domains.
5. Develop Open Innovation Models – Foster cross-industry collaborations to accelerate tech adoption and mitigate risk in new markets.

For Business Strategists

1. Use Data-Driven Decision Making – Leverage tools like DEEP TECH FINDER to analyze market trends, investment patterns, and competitor strategies.
2. Prioritize Scalable Technologies – Focus on deep tech solutions with high scalability and global market potential.
3. Track Regional Innovation Hubs – Monitor activity in London, Paris, Munich, and other deep tech centers to align expansion strategies.
4. Identify Competitive Advantages – Assess IP portfolios, funding sources, and technological differentiators to refine strategic positioning.
5. Anticipate Regulatory Changes – Stay ahead of policy shifts and compliance requirements in deep tech sectors like AI, biotech, and clean energy.

Source Summaries

1. Explore Europe’s Deep Tech Ecosystem
   • Overview of the DEEP TECH FINDER tool by the European Patent Office, which tracks Deep Tech innovation across startups, spin-offs, universities, and investors.
2. Deep Tech Finder Dashboard
   • An interactive data visualization tool for exploring Deep Tech activity in different European regions.
3. European Patent Office FAQ on Deep Tech Finder
   • Official FAQ page explaining how to use the Deep Tech Finder tool for patent and technology trend analysis.
4. Tracking, Prioritizing, and Mapping Technology Solutions to Global Challenges – OODAloop
   • Insights from OODAloop on how Deep Tech innovations can be leveraged to address global challenges.