What happens to inventions after patent protection is granted? Which ones reach the market, which remain uncommercialised, and what barriers prevent their implementation? Poland’s first pilot study of the commercialisation of domestic patents provides preliminary answers to these questions.
The findings show that only one in four patents covered by the study had been commercialised. At the same time, the practical use of protected inventions generated combined revenue of nearly PLN 4 billion. Almost two-thirds of the patents are not currently intended for commercialisation, while approximately 3% primarily serve a protective or strategic purpose.
The study covered more than 11,500 patents granted by the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland to Polish entities between 2019 and 2023. For the first time, it made it possible to trace what happens to protected inventions after a patent is granted: whether they enter the market, how they are commercialised, what revenue they generate and why some are never implemented.
The project, entitled Commercialisation of Patents Granted by the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland to Domestic Entities in 2019–2023, was carried out by the Polish Patent Office in cooperation with the SGH Warsaw School of Economics and Statistics Poland.
The study concept was developed by Mariusz-Jan Radło, Associate Professor at SGH and Head of the Department of Global Economic Interdependencies. Based on this methodology, the research was conducted by the Statistical Office in Szczecin using official statistical methods. The project was led on behalf of the Polish Patent Office by Michał Gołacki, Deputy Director of the Department of Innovation.
Patent commercialisation generated nearly PLN 4 billion
A total of 24.9% of the patents included in the study had been commercialised, generating an estimated PLN 3.93 billion in revenue.
The findings suggest that the economic potential of Polish inventions could be used more effectively by strengthening mechanisms that support commercialisation and cooperation between science and business.
“In a modern innovation system, the role of the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland is not limited to granting legal protection. It is equally important to provide reliable knowledge about how industrial property affects economic development and which measures increase the chances of successfully implementing new technologies,” said Ewa Skrzydło-Tefelska, President of the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland.
“Patent protection opens the way to commercialisation, but it does not in itself determine whether an invention will succeed in the market. We therefore need data that will allow us to assess what happens to solutions after a patent is granted, which commercialisation models prove most effective and where barriers limit the use of Poland’s innovation potential.
“This is the first study to present such a comprehensive picture of what happens to patents granted by the Polish Patent Office. Its findings provide a foundation for evidence-based innovation policy, more effective technology transfer and better use of the potential of science and entrepreneurship.
“This is the direction in which we want to develop the Patent Office—as an institution that not only protects industrial property, but also actively supports the development of the entire innovation ecosystem.”
Academic and corporate patents follow different paths
One of the most important findings is the clear difference in commercialisation outcomes between scientific institutions and businesses.
Research institutions own more than two-thirds of the patents covered by the study, but account for only around 1% of the revenue generated through commercialisation. Companies hold less than one-third of the analysed patents, yet generate almost 99% of all revenue from their use.
“We designed a model that makes it possible to trace the different paths a patent may follow—from independent implementation and cooperation with a partner to the sale of rights, the absence of commercialisation or the use of a patent to block competitors,” said Mariusz-Jan Radło, who developed the study concept.
“The model can be applied on a recurring basis, allowing us not only to measure the scale of commercialisation, but also to observe changes, barriers and economic effects over time.
“The pilot study shows that simply increasing the number of patents is not enough. Innovation policy should provide stronger support for the transition from protecting an invention to using it in the economy.”
What prevents inventions from being commercialised?
The study also identified the main barriers preventing inventions from reaching the market.
In the scientific sector, the most common obstacles are a lack of demand for technologies and insufficient interest from investors. Businesses face a broader range of difficulties, including those same problems as well as changes in business strategy and changing market conditions.
As a result, 64.7% of the patents covered by the study are not currently intended for commercialisation.
In approximately 3% of cases, patents primarily fulfil a protective or strategic function. Rather than being used directly to introduce a product or technology to the market, they help their owners protect a competitive advantage.
The findings indicate that effective support for commercialisation requires differentiated instruments tailored to the needs of various patent owners and to the stage of development reached by a particular technology.
“Effective public policy requires reliable data on the scale of economic phenomena, as well as knowledge of the conditions shaping them,” said Marek Cierpiał-Wolan, President of Statistics Poland.
“I am convinced that this is only the beginning. The pilot project provides an excellent starting point for further studies examining the entire innovation chain in relation to inventions and patents—from the initial idea to specific business applications and their effects at company and economy-wide level.
“It is also worth noting how the role of official statistics is changing. It is no longer only about collecting and publishing data. In cooperation with our partners, we diagnose and describe economic phenomena in detail, which makes it possible not only to understand them better, but also to shape and manage them appropriately.
“Our main objective is to ensure that the results of our research provide a basis for decisions that benefit the Polish economy.”
An important source of knowledge for universities and innovation policy
For the first time, the study provides data enabling researchers and policymakers to analyse not only the scale of patent commercialisation, but also the barriers preventing protected inventions from being used and the differences between various groups of patent owners.
The conclusions may support the development of instruments aimed at promoting innovation, technology transfer and cooperation between science and business.
“SGH has long been a pioneer in applied research and in diagnosing the condition of the Polish economy,” said Piotr Wachowiak, Rector of SGH Warsaw School of Economics.
“The study of patents granted by the Polish Patent Office between 2019 and 2023 fits well with this mission, demonstrating how academic research can help address the country’s real development challenges.
“This is particularly important today, as the traditional sources of growth in the Polish economy are gradually being exhausted and future development must rely to a greater extent on innovation, productivity, knowledge and domestically developed technologies.
“The findings also demonstrate that traditional measures of innovation, such as the number of patents granted, do not always reflect actual economic outcomes. A patent is an important sign of potential, but only its successful use in the market determines its impact on the economy.
“Through cooperation between the Polish Patent Office, SGH and Statistics Poland, a unique, data-driven assessment has been created showing which patents reach the market, which remain unused and what barriers limit their commercialisation.”
Full report to be presented in December
The complete findings, together with the full report and a more detailed analysis, will be presented during the international conference Unlocking the Value of IP: Financing, Valuation and Commercialisation.
The event is being organised by the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland in cooperation with the SGH Warsaw School of Economics and will take place at SGH on 1–2 December 2026.
