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 2020* 820 3,405 75 345 1,105 1,645 20 20
A Human necessities 2020* 220 850 20 100 350 460 5 5
A1 Agriculture 2020* 45 95 5 5 95 135 0 5
A2 Foodstuffs and tobacco 2020* 30 90 0 5 40 50 0 0
A3 Personal or domestic articles 2020* 30 100 0 5 80 90 0 0
A4 Health and amusement 2020* 120 565 10 85 140 180 5 0
B Performing operations; transporting 2020* 195 470 10 25 280 425 5 0
B1 Separating and mixing 2020* 40 95 5 5 50 60 0 0
B2 Shaping 2020* 50 115 5 5 55 80 0 0
B3 Printing 2020* 0 15 0 0 10 15 0 0
B4 Transporting 2020* 105 245 5 10 170 270 0 0
B5 Micro-structural and nanotechnology 2020* 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0
C Chemistry; metallurgy 2020* 95 450 15 70 55 80 0 5
C1 Chemistry 2020* 90 415 15 70 50 70 0 5
C2 Metallurgy 2020* 10 30 0 0 5 10 0 0
C3 Combinatorial technology 2020* 0 0 0 0 . . . .
D Textiles; paper 2020* 5 20 0 0 5 10 0 0
D1 Textiles or flexible materials n.e.c. 2020* 5 15 0 0 5 5 0 0
D2 Paper 2020* 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0
E Fixed constructions 2020* 70 130 0 40 120 150 0 0
E1 Building 2020* 65 85 0 0 110 140 0 0
E2 Earth or rock drilling and mining 2020* 5 45 0 40 5 10 0 0
F Mechanical engineering; lighting. 2020* 60 160 5 10 110 140 0 0
F1 Engines or pumps 2020* 10 15 0 5 25 40 0 0
F2 Engineering in general 2020* 20 35 5 5 25 35 0 0
F3 Lighting and heating 2020* 25 105 0 0 55 60 0 0
F4 Weapons and blasting 2020* 5 0 0 0 5 5 0 0
G Physics 2020* 115 765 15 65 110 240 0 5
G1 Physics: instruments 2020* 115 760 15 65 110 240 0 5
G2 Nucleonics 2020* 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0
H Electricity 2020* 55 565 5 35 75 140 5 5
I Electrical engineering 2020* 85 875 10 65 115 200 5 5
1 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energ 2020* 30 265 5 15 45 80 0 0
2 Audio-visual technology 2020* 10 45 0 0 10 20 0 0
3 Telecommunications 2020* 5 75 0 5 5 10 0 0
4 Digital communication 2020* 10 145 0 15 10 10 0 0
5 Basic communication processes 2020* 0 35 0 0 5 10 0 0
6 Computer technology 2020* 20 235 0 25 20 35 0 0
7 IT methods for management 2020* 10 25 5 5 10 20 0 0
8 Semiconductors 2020* 5 50 0 0 10 20 5 0
II Instruments 2020* 140 870 15 50 155 285 5 5
9 Optics 2020* 45 230 5 25 35 75 0 0
10 Measurement 2020* 10 25 5 5 5 10 0 0
11 Analysis of biological materials 2020* 10 45 0 5 15 20 0 0
12 Control 2020* 60 455 5 15 95 125 5 5
13 Medical technology 2020* 15 110 0 0 10 60 0 0
III Chemistry 2020* 285 945 30 160 260 370 5 5
14 Organic fine chemistry 2020* 10 115 0 60 0 0 0 0
15 Biotechnology 2020* 30 90 5 10 10 20 0 5
16 Pharmaceuticals 2020* 50 110 5 15 20 35 0 0
17 Macromolecular chemistry, polymers 2020* 10 95 0 5 5 10 0 0
18 Food chemistry 2020* 25 85 0 5 25 35 0 0
19 Basic materials chemistry 2020* 25 145 5 50 15 15 0 5
20 Materials, metallurgy 2020* 10 35 0 5 5 10 0 0
21 Surface technology, coating 2020* 15 50 0 0 15 25 0 0
22 Micro-structure and nano-technology 2020* 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0
23 Chemical engineering 2020* 30 75 0 5 40 50 0 0
24 Environmental technology 2020* 25 40 0 0 35 40 0 0
IV Mechanical engineering 2020* 60 105 0 5 85 130 0 0
25 Handling 2020* 195 455 15 25 335 505 5 5
26 Machine tools 2020* 15 35 0 0 25 30 0 0
27 Engines, pumps, turbines 2020* 15 20 0 5 25 40 0 0
28 Textile and paper machines 2020* 10 20 0 0 10 15 0 0
29 Other special machines 2020* 75 165 5 10 130 195 0 0
30 Thermal processes and apparatus 2020* 20 40 0 0 45 50 0 0
31 Mechanical elements 2020* 20 40 5 5 25 40 0 0
32 Transport 2020* 45 130 5 5 80 140 0 0
V Other fields 2020* 115 265 0 45 240 285 5 5
33 Furniture, games 2020* 30 75 0 0 65 80 0 0
34 Other consumer goods 2020* 20 60 0 5 55 55 0 0
35 Civil engineering 2020* 65 130 0 40 120 150 0 0
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Dataset is not available.


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 2018 are final. The figures for 2019 are revised provisional. The figures for 2020 are provisional.

Changes as of 6 February 2024:
Provisional figures for 2019 and 2020 have been updated.

Changes as of June 30, 2023:
The figures for 2018 and 2019 have been adjusted and the provisional figures for 2020 have been added.

When will new figures be published?
Mid 2024 the figures for 2019 and 2020 will be updated and new figures for 2021 will be added. Beginning of 2025 the figures for 2020 and 2021 will be updated.

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.