Patent applicants and applications; SIC 2008 and company size

Changed on: 26/02/2025 02:00

Patent applicants and applications; SIC 2008 and company size
Country (UCI)	SIC 2008	Company size	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)
Total domestic and foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Total employed persons	2021*	645	3,115	40	315	810	1,255	10	5
Total domestic and foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	385	485	15	15	575	700	5	5
Total domestic and foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	120	385	5	100	135	250	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	250 and more employed persons	2021*	140	2,245	20	205	100	305	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	M-N Business services	Total employed persons	2021*	185	575	15	255	235	330	5	5
Total domestic and foreign	M-N Business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	155	190	5	5	210	255	5	5
Total domestic and foreign	M-N Business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	20	165	5	95	15	55	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	M-N Business services	250 and more employed persons	2021*	10	220	5	160	10	15	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	M-N Business services	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	M Other specialised business services	Total employed persons	2021*	165	455	15	170	210	295	5	5
Total domestic and foreign	M Other specialised business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	140	170	5	5	185	230	5	5
Total domestic and foreign	M Other specialised business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	15	70	0	5	15	55	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	M Other specialised business services	250 and more employed persons	2021*	10	220	5	155	10	15	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	M Other specialised business services	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	74 Other specialised business services	Total employed persons	2021*	5	5	0	0	15	25	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	74 Other specialised business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	5	5	0	0	15	20	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	74 Other specialised business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	0	0	0	0	0	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	74 Other specialised business services	250 and more employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	74 Other specialised business services	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	N Renting and other business support	Total employed persons	2021*	20	120	0	90	30	35	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	N Renting and other business support	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	15	20	0	0	25	30	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	N Renting and other business support	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	5	95	0	85	0	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	N Renting and other business support	250 and more employed persons	2021*	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	N Renting and other business support	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	82 Other business services	Total employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	82 Other business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	82 Other business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	82 Other business services	250 and more employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	82 Other business services	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Total employed persons	2021*	500	2,240	25	45	725	1,070	5	5
Domestic	A-N Business economy and agriculture	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	355	430	10	10	555	675	5	5
Domestic	A-N Business economy and agriculture	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	75	130	0	0	100	185	0	0
Domestic	A-N Business economy and agriculture	250 and more employed persons	2021*	70	1,680	10	30	70	210	0	0
Domestic	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	M-N Business services	Total employed persons	2021*	165	270	10	10	230	315	5	5
Domestic	M-N Business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	145	170	5	5	205	250	5	5
Domestic	M-N Business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	15	40	0	0	15	55	0	0
Domestic	M-N Business services	250 and more employed persons	2021*	10	60	5	5	10	15	0	0
Domestic	M-N Business services	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	M Other specialised business services	Total employed persons	2021*	150	250	10	10	200	285	5	5
Domestic	M Other specialised business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	135	155	5	5	180	225	5	5
Domestic	M Other specialised business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	10	35	0	0	15	50	0	0
Domestic	M Other specialised business services	250 and more employed persons	2021*	5	55	5	5	10	10	0	0
Domestic	M Other specialised business services	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	74 Other specialised business services	Total employed persons	2021*	5	5	0	0	15	25	0	0
Domestic	74 Other specialised business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	5	5	0	0	15	20	0	0
Domestic	74 Other specialised business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	0	0	0	0	0	5	0	0
Domestic	74 Other specialised business services	250 and more employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	74 Other specialised business services	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	N Renting and other business support	Total employed persons	2021*	15	20	0	0	30	30	0	0
Domestic	N Renting and other business support	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	10	15	0	0	25	25	0	0
Domestic	N Renting and other business support	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	0	5	0	0	0	5	0	0
Domestic	N Renting and other business support	250 and more employed persons	2021*	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Domestic	N Renting and other business support	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	82 Other business services	Total employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	82 Other business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	82 Other business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	82 Other business services	250 and more employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	82 Other business services	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Total employed persons	2021*	150	875	20	270	85	185	5	5
Foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	30	60	5	5	20	25	0	0
Foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	50	250	5	95	35	65	0	0
Foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	250 and more employed persons	2021*	70	565	10	170	30	95	0	0
Foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	M-N Business services	Total employed persons	2021*	20	305	5	245	5	10	0	0
Foreign	M-N Business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	10	20	0	0	5	5	0	0
Foreign	M-N Business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	5	125	0	90	0	5	0	0
Foreign	M-N Business services	250 and more employed persons	2021*	0	160	0	150	0	0	0	0
Foreign	M-N Business services	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	M Other specialised business services	Total employed persons	2021*	15	205	5	160	5	10	0	0
Foreign	M Other specialised business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	5	10	0	0	5	5	0	0
Foreign	M Other specialised business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	5	35	0	5	0	5	0	0
Foreign	M Other specialised business services	250 and more employed persons	2021*	0	160	0	150	0	0	0	0
Foreign	M Other specialised business services	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	74 Other specialised business services	Total employed persons	2021*	0	0	0	0	.	.	.	.
Foreign	74 Other specialised business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	0	0	0	0	.	.	.	.
Foreign	74 Other specialised business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	74 Other specialised business services	250 and more employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	74 Other specialised business services	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	N Renting and other business support	Total employed persons	2021*	5	100	0	85	0	0	0	0
Foreign	N Renting and other business support	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	0	10	0	0	0	0	0	0
Foreign	N Renting and other business support	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	0	90	0	85	.	.	.	.
Foreign	N Renting and other business support	250 and more employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	N Renting and other business support	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	82 Other business services	Total employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	82 Other business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	82 Other business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	82 Other business services	250 and more employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	82 Other business services	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Total employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	A-N Business economy and agriculture	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	A-N Business economy and agriculture	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	A-N Business economy and agriculture	250 and more employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	M-N Business services	Total employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	M-N Business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	M-N Business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	M-N Business services	250 and more employed persons	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	M-N Business services	Employed persons unknown	2021*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
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 economic activity of the enterprise applying for a patent. For the classification by economic activity the Dutch Standard Industrial Classification (SIC 2008) is used. The data give an indication which branches are (most) innovative. Additionally, a breakdown by enterprise size class is available.

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 26 February 2025:
Provisional figures for 2020 and 2021 have been updated.
For applicants with the attribute 'unknown' (branches, company size and country of ultimate controlling institutional unit), no link is available with the General Business Register. In the past, links for these applicants were forwarded from other statistical years where a link was possible, but for the sake of consistency with the General Business Register, a link is only assigned if the company is actually listed in the General Business Register in the same year as the patent application. The change results in approximately 10 to 120 patent applicants per statistical year no longer being linked to the register and receiving the attribute ‘unknown’. These are mostly companies that are newly created and not yet included in the register or companies that have just ceased to exist in the same year that the patent application was registered.
In recent years, there have also been changes to the PATSTAT source data for statistical years that have since been given a 'final' status. Patents may still have been added to the PATSTAT database with long delays, or they may have been removed from the database. This revision makes all statistical years consistent with the most recent PATSTAT source data which was made available at the end of 2024. The adjustment affects at most a few dozen patent applications per statistical year (increase or decrease).

Changes as of 12 July 2024:
The figures for 2019 and 2020 have been adjusted and the provisional figures for 2021 have been added.

When will new figures be published?
Mid 2025 the figures for 2020 and 2021 will be updated and new figures for 2022 will be added. Beginning of 2026 the figures for 2021 and 2022 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.