Patent applicants and applications; SIC 2008 and company size

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 2020* 685 3,190 50 320 880 1,345 10 15
Total domestic and foreign A-N Business economy and agriculture 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 385 545 20 55 600 705 10 5
Total domestic and foreign A-N Business economy and agriculture 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* 140 375 10 95 140 230 0 0
Total domestic and foreign A-N Business economy and agriculture 250 and more employed persons 2020* 140 2,120 20 45 100 365 5 5
Total domestic and foreign A-N Business economy and agriculture Employed persons unknown 2020* 20 150 0 120 40 45 0 0
Total domestic and foreign M-N Business services Total employed persons 2020* 215 500 25 145 275 360 5 5
Total domestic and foreign M-N Business services 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 160 235 15 50 225 275 0 0
Total domestic and foreign M-N Business services 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* 25 160 5 90 20 45 0 0
Total domestic and foreign M-N Business services 250 and more employed persons 2020* 15 90 5 5 10 15 0 0
Total domestic and foreign M-N Business services Employed persons unknown 2020* 15 15 0 0 20 20 0 0
Total domestic and foreign M Other specialised business services Total employed persons 2020* 190 375 20 60 235 305 5 5
Total domestic and foreign M Other specialised business services 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 145 210 15 50 200 240 0 0
Total domestic and foreign M Other specialised business services 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* 20 70 5 5 15 40 0 0
Total domestic and foreign M Other specialised business services 250 and more employed persons 2020* 10 85 5 5 10 15 0 0
Total domestic and foreign M Other specialised business services Employed persons unknown 2020* 10 10 0 0 15 15 0 0
Total domestic and foreign 74 Other specialised business services Total employed persons 2020* 15 15 0 5 30 35 0 0
Total domestic and foreign 74 Other specialised business services 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 10 15 0 5 25 30 0 0
Total domestic and foreign 74 Other specialised business services 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0
Total domestic and foreign 74 Other specialised business services 250 and more employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Total domestic and foreign 74 Other specialised business services Employed persons unknown 2020* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total domestic and foreign N Renting and other business support Total employed persons 2020* 25 120 0 85 40 50 0 0
Total domestic and foreign N Renting and other business support 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 15 25 0 0 25 35 0 0
Total domestic and foreign N Renting and other business support 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* 5 90 0 85 5 10 0 0
Total domestic and foreign N Renting and other business support 250 and more employed persons 2020* 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0
Total domestic and foreign N Renting and other business support Employed persons unknown 2020* 5 5 0 0 5 5 0 0
Total domestic and foreign 82 Other business services Total employed persons 2020* . . . . 0 0 0 0
Total domestic and foreign 82 Other business services 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Total domestic and foreign 82 Other business services 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Total domestic and foreign 82 Other business services 250 and more employed persons 2020* . . . . 0 0 0 0
Total domestic and foreign 82 Other business services Employed persons unknown 2020* . . . . 0 0 0 0
Domestic A-N Business economy and agriculture Total employed persons 2020* 525 2,390 25 200 790 1,150 10 10
Domestic A-N Business economy and agriculture 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 350 465 15 45 580 680 10 5
Domestic A-N Business economy and agriculture 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* 80 120 0 0 105 170 0 0
Domestic A-N Business economy and agriculture 250 and more employed persons 2020* 70 1,645 10 30 65 255 0 5
Domestic A-N Business economy and agriculture Employed persons unknown 2020* 20 150 0 120 40 45 0 0
Domestic M-N Business services Total employed persons 2020* 190 345 15 45 265 340 5 5
Domestic M-N Business services 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 150 210 10 40 220 270 0 0
Domestic M-N Business services 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* 15 35 0 0 15 40 0 0
Domestic M-N Business services 250 and more employed persons 2020* 10 85 5 5 5 15 0 0
Domestic M-N Business services Employed persons unknown 2020* 15 15 0 0 20 20 0 0
Domestic M Other specialised business services Total employed persons 2020* 170 320 15 45 230 295 5 5
Domestic M Other specialised business services 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 135 195 10 40 195 235 0 0
Domestic M Other specialised business services 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* 15 30 0 0 10 30 0 0
Domestic M Other specialised business services 250 and more employed persons 2020* 10 85 5 5 5 10 0 0
Domestic M Other specialised business services Employed persons unknown 2020* 10 10 0 0 15 15 0 0
Domestic 74 Other specialised business services Total employed persons 2020* 10 15 0 0 30 35 0 0
Domestic 74 Other specialised business services 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 10 10 0 0 25 30 0 0
Domestic 74 Other specialised business services 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0
Domestic 74 Other specialised business services 250 and more employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Domestic 74 Other specialised business services Employed persons unknown 2020* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Domestic N Renting and other business support Total employed persons 2020* 20 25 0 0 35 45 0 0
Domestic N Renting and other business support 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 10 15 0 0 25 30 0 0
Domestic N Renting and other business support 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* 5 5 0 0 5 10 0 0
Domestic N Renting and other business support 250 and more employed persons 2020* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Domestic N Renting and other business support Employed persons unknown 2020* 5 5 0 0 5 5 0 0
Domestic 82 Other business services Total employed persons 2020* . . . . 0 0 0 0
Domestic 82 Other business services 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Domestic 82 Other business services 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Domestic 82 Other business services 250 and more employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Domestic 82 Other business services Employed persons unknown 2020* . . . . 0 0 0 0
Foreign A-N Business economy and agriculture Total employed persons 2020* 160 805 25 120 90 195 0 0
Foreign A-N Business economy and agriculture 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 40 75 5 10 20 25 0 0
Foreign A-N Business economy and agriculture 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* 55 255 10 95 35 60 0 0
Foreign A-N Business economy and agriculture 250 and more employed persons 2020* 65 470 10 15 35 110 0 0
Foreign A-N Business economy and agriculture Employed persons unknown 2020* . . . . . . . .
Foreign M-N Business services Total employed persons 2020* 25 150 10 95 10 15 0 0
Foreign M-N Business services 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 10 25 5 10 5 10 0 0
Foreign M-N Business services 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* 10 125 5 85 0 5 0 0
Foreign M-N Business services 250 and more employed persons 2020* 5 5 0 0 5 5 0 0
Foreign M-N Business services Employed persons unknown 2020* . . . . . . . .
Foreign M Other specialised business services Total employed persons 2020* 20 55 5 15 10 15 0 0
Foreign M Other specialised business services 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 10 15 5 10 5 5 0 0
Foreign M Other specialised business services 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* 5 35 0 5 0 5 0 0
Foreign M Other specialised business services 250 and more employed persons 2020* 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0
Foreign M Other specialised business services Employed persons unknown 2020* . . . . . . . .
Foreign 74 Other specialised business services Total employed persons 2020* 0 0 0 0 . . . .
Foreign 74 Other specialised business services 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 0 0 0 0 . . . .
Foreign 74 Other specialised business services 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Foreign 74 Other specialised business services 250 and more employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Foreign 74 Other specialised business services Employed persons unknown 2020* . . . . . . . .
Foreign N Renting and other business support Total employed persons 2020* 5 95 0 85 0 5 0 0
Foreign N Renting and other business support 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0
Foreign N Renting and other business support 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* 0 85 0 85 . . . .
Foreign N Renting and other business support 250 and more employed persons 2020* . . . . 0 0 0 0
Foreign N Renting and other business support Employed persons unknown 2020* . . . . . . . .
Foreign 82 Other business services Total employed persons 2020* . . . . 0 0 0 0
Foreign 82 Other business services 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Foreign 82 Other business services 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Foreign 82 Other business services 250 and more employed persons 2020* . . . . 0 0 0 0
Foreign 82 Other business services Employed persons unknown 2020* . . . . . . . .
Equally-shared control A-N Business economy and agriculture Total employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Equally-shared control A-N Business economy and agriculture 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Equally-shared control A-N Business economy and agriculture 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Equally-shared control A-N Business economy and agriculture 250 and more employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Equally-shared control A-N Business economy and agriculture Employed persons unknown 2020* . . . . . . . .
Equally-shared control M-N Business services Total employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Equally-shared control M-N Business services 0 to 49 employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Equally-shared control M-N Business services 50 to 249 employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Equally-shared control M-N Business services 250 and more employed persons 2020* . . . . . . . .
Equally-shared control M-N Business services Employed persons unknown 2020* . . . . . . . .
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 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 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.