International Patent Applications Rose in 2025, with Digital Communication and Semiconductor Technologies Showing Strong Growth

International patent applications filed through WIPO's Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) rose 0.7% in 2025 to reach 275,900 filings worldwide, marking a second consecutive year of growth. The increase was partly due to robust activity in ICT related fields, with digital communication remaining as the top category (11.1%) of published PCT applications, while semiconductors recorded one of the fastest growth rates among all leading areas of international patents.