Patent applicants and patent applications; technology field

Patent applicants and patent applications; technology field

Technology area Periods EPO-Patent applicants (number) EPO-Patent applications (number) EPO-Patent Applicants with foreign cooperation (number) EPO-Patent Applications with foreign cooperation (number) OCNL-Patent Patent applicants (number) OCNL-Patent Patent applications (number) OCNL-Patent Applicants with foreign cooperation (number) OCNL-Patent Applications with foreign cooperation (number)
All technology areas 2021* 590 2,395 55 180 1,100 1,635 20 15
A Human necessities 2021* 150 555 15 40 325 440 5 5
A1 Agriculture 2021* 45 70 0 5 100 145 0 0
A2 Foodstuffs and tobacco 2021* 25 60 5 5 40 55 0 0
A3 Personal or domestic articles 2021* 20 60 0 0 70 75 0 0
A4 Health and amusement 2021* 60 365 5 30 115 160 5 5
B Performing operations; transporting 2021* 135 300 10 15 265 420 5 5
B1 Separating and mixing 2021* 25 45 0 5 40 60 0 0
B2 Shaping 2021* 30 85 0 5 60 100 0 0
B3 Printing 2021* 0 10 0 0 5 10 0 0
B4 Transporting 2021* 80 160 5 5 155 250 0 0
B5 Micro-structural and nanotechnology 2021* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
C Chemistry; metallurgy 2021* 80 240 10 30 70 110 0 0
C1 Chemistry 2021* 75 230 10 30 65 105 0 0
C2 Metallurgy 2021* 5 10 0 0 5 10 0 0
C3 Combinatorial technology 2021* . . . . . . . .
D Textiles; paper 2021* 5 15 0 0 10 10 0 0
D1 Textiles or flexible materials n.e.c. 2021* 5 15 0 0 10 10 0 0
D2 Paper 2021* 0 0 0 0 5 5 0 0
E Fixed constructions 2021* 50 65 5 10 135 175 5 0
E1 Building 2021* 45 50 5 0 125 165 5 0
E2 Earth or rock drilling and mining 2021* 5 15 0 10 5 10 0 0
F Mechanical engineering; lighting. 2021* 50 135 0 5 105 165 0 0
F1 Engines or pumps 2021* 10 20 0 0 20 40 0 0
F2 Engineering in general 2021* 20 35 0 0 35 60 0 0
F3 Lighting and heating 2021* 20 80 0 5 50 65 0 0
F4 Weapons and blasting 2021* . . . . 0 5 0 0
G Physics 2021* 70 630 10 40 110 170 5 0
G1 Physics: instruments 2021* 70 625 10 40 110 170 5 0
G2 Nucleonics 2021* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
H Electricity 2021* 50 455 5 35 80 140 0 0
I Electrical engineering 2021* 70 695 10 50 125 195 5 5
1 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energ 2021* 25 170 0 5 50 80 0 0
2 Audio-visual technology 2021* 5 30 0 0 15 20 0 0
3 Telecommunications 2021* 5 50 0 5 5 15 0 0
4 Digital communication 2021* 10 100 0 15 10 10 0 0
5 Basic communication processes 2021* 0 40 0 5 0 5 0 0
6 Computer technology 2021* 20 205 5 15 30 35 0 0
7 IT methods for management 2021* 5 15 0 0 10 10 0 0
8 Semiconductors 2021* 5 80 0 5 10 20 0 0
II Instruments 2021* 85 710 10 35 145 225 5 0
9 Optics 2021* 25 180 0 15 40 65 0 0
10 Measurement 2021* 5 5 0 0 5 5 0 0
11 Analysis of biological materials 2021* 10 30 0 5 15 20 0 0
12 Control 2021* 40 380 5 10 75 110 0 0
13 Medical technology 2021* 10 115 0 0 10 20 0 0
III Chemistry 2021* 200 485 25 70 255 370 5 5
14 Organic fine chemistry 2021* 10 45 0 20 5 5 0 0
15 Biotechnology 2021* 25 45 5 5 15 25 0 0
16 Pharmaceuticals 2021* 20 40 5 5 15 20 0 0
17 Macromolecular chemistry, polymers 2021* 10 60 0 0 5 10 0 0
18 Food chemistry 2021* 20 50 5 5 25 35 0 0
19 Basic materials chemistry 2021* 30 85 5 20 25 30 0 0
20 Materials, metallurgy 2021* 10 15 0 0 10 15 0 0
21 Surface technology, coating 2021* 10 25 0 0 10 20 0 0
22 Micro-structure and nano-technology 2021* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
23 Chemical engineering 2021* 20 40 0 5 35 50 0 0
24 Environmental technology 2021* 10 25 0 0 30 40 0 0
IV Mechanical engineering 2021* 35 65 5 5 75 120 0 0
25 Handling 2021* 155 360 5 10 340 545 5 5
26 Machine tools 2021* 10 45 0 0 15 20 0 0
27 Engines, pumps, turbines 2021* 10 20 0 0 20 35 0 0
28 Textile and paper machines 2021* 5 15 0 0 10 20 0 0
29 Other special machines 2021* 60 105 5 5 140 225 0 0
30 Thermal processes and apparatus 2021* 15 45 0 5 40 50 0 0
31 Mechanical elements 2021* 20 35 0 0 35 60 0 0
32 Transport 2021* 40 95 0 0 80 135 0 0
V Other fields 2021* 75 145 5 15 240 295 5 0
33 Furniture, games 2021* 15 45 0 0 65 75 0 0
34 Other consumer goods 2021* 10 35 0 0 40 45 0 0
35 Civil engineering 2021* 45 65 5 10 135 175 5 0
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table gives an overview of the number of patent applicants and patent applications at the European Patent Office (EPO) and the Netherlands Patent Office (OCNL), a department of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). Patents can be granted to enterprises, universities, institutions, private persons or other entities as long as the invention which they cover fulfils certain criteria. To obtain a patent the invention must be novel, contain an inventive step and be industrially applicable. This is assessed by a patent office like the EPO or OCNL. The patent office will grant or reject the application.

The data are broken down by the technology field the invention relates to. This does not necessarily have to be the same area in which the applicant is economically active (SIC).

If an application can be classified as relating to two (or more) technology fields, each technology field is attributed a fraction of the application. If, for example, an application can be classified as relating to two technology fields, half of one application is allocated to each technology field. As a result the total number of patent applications remains equal.

Data available from: 2013

Status of the figures:
The figures from 2013 to 2019 are final. The figures for 2020 are revised provisional. The figures for 2021 are provisional.

Changes as of 15 July 2024:
The figures for 2019 and 2020 have been adjusted and the provisional figures for 2021 have been added.

Changes as of 1 February 2024:
Provisional figures for 2019 and 2020 have been updated.

When will new figures be published?
Beginning of 2025 the figures for 2020 and 2021 will be updated. Mid 2025 the figures for 2020 and 2021 will be updated and new figures for 2022 will be added.

Description topics

EPO-Patent
A patent that is granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) is valid in all member countries of the EPO. However, the EPO patent must be validated at the national patent office in order to be effective in member countries.
applicants
Enterprises who applied for a patent at the European Patent Office (EPO)in the period observed.
A patent that is granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) is valid in all member countries of the EPO. However the EPO patent must be validated at the national patent office in order to be effective in member countries.
applications
Patent applications at the European Patent Office (EPO) in the period observed.
A patent that is granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) is valid in all member countries of the EPO. However the EPO patent must be validated at the national patent office in order to be effective in member countries.
Applicants with foreign cooperation
Enterprises who applied for a patent at the European Patent Office (EPO) in the period observed, where the Dutch applicant has cooperated with a foreign entity for any of its applications.
Applications with foreign cooperation
Patent applications at the European Patent Office (EPO) in the period observed, where the Dutch applicant has cooperated with a foreign entity for this specific application.
OCNL-Patent
A patent that is granted by NL Patent Office (OCNL), a division of Agency NL, is only valid in the Netherlands.
Patent applicants
Enterprises who applied for a patent at the Netherlands Patent Office (OCNL), a department of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), in the period observed.
A patent that is granted by NL Patent Office (OCNL), a division of Agency NL, is only valid in the Netherlands.

Patent applications
Patent applications at the Netherlands Patent Office (OCNL), a department of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), in the period observed.
A patent that is granted by NL Patent Office (OCNL), a division of Agency NL, is only valid in the Netherlands.
Applicants with foreign cooperation
Enterprises who applied for a patent at the Netherlands Patent Office (OCNL), a department of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), in the period observed, where the Dutch applicant has cooperated with a foreign entity for any of its applications.
Applications with foreign cooperation
Patent applications at the Netherlands Patent Office (OCNL), a department of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), in the period observed, where the Dutch applicant has cooperated with a foreign entity for this specific application.