Patent applicants and applications; SIC 2008 and company size

Changed on: 31/07/2025 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	2022*	460	2,455	35	185	675	1,125	5	5
Total domestic and foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	240	340	15	55	445	555	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	105	295	5	60	130	240	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	250 and more employed persons	2022*	115	1,820	15	75	100	330	5	5
Total domestic and foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	M-N Business services	Total employed persons	2022*	125	340	10	100	175	275	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	M-N Business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	100	120	5	5	155	200	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	M-N Business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	15	115	0	55	10	30	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	M-N Business services	250 and more employed persons	2022*	10	110	5	40	10	40	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	M-N Business services	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	M Other specialised business services	Total employed persons	2022*	110	270	10	50	155	240	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	M Other specialised business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	85	105	5	5	135	180	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	M Other specialised business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	15	60	0	5	10	30	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	M Other specialised business services	250 and more employed persons	2022*	10	105	5	40	5	35	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	M Other specialised business services	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	74 Other specialised business services	Total employed persons	2022*	5	5	0	0	15	20	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	74 Other specialised business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	5	5	0	0	10	10	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	74 Other specialised business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	0	10	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	74 Other specialised business services	250 and more employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	74 Other specialised business services	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	N Renting and other business support	Total employed persons	2022*	15	70	0	55	20	35	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	N Renting and other business support	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	10	15	0	0	15	25	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	N Renting and other business support	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	0	55	0	50	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	N Renting and other business support	250 and more employed persons	2022*	0	5	0	0	0	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	N Renting and other business support	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	82 Other business services	Total employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	82 Other business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	82 Other business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	82 Other business services	250 and more employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	82 Other business services	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Total employed persons	2022*	330	1,755	20	30	590	920	5	5
Domestic	A-N Business economy and agriculture	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	210	260	10	10	425	530	0	0
Domestic	A-N Business economy and agriculture	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	60	105	0	0	95	160	0	0
Domestic	A-N Business economy and agriculture	250 and more employed persons	2022*	55	1,390	10	15	70	230	0	0
Domestic	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	M-N Business services	Total employed persons	2022*	110	180	10	10	165	255	0	0
Domestic	M-N Business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	90	110	5	5	150	190	0	0
Domestic	M-N Business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	10	25	0	0	10	30	0	0
Domestic	M-N Business services	250 and more employed persons	2022*	5	50	5	0	5	35	0	0
Domestic	M-N Business services	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	M Other specialised business services	Total employed persons	2022*	100	165	5	5	150	225	0	0
Domestic	M Other specialised business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	80	95	5	5	135	170	0	0
Domestic	M Other specialised business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	10	25	0	0	10	30	0	0
Domestic	M Other specialised business services	250 and more employed persons	2022*	5	50	5	0	5	30	0	0
Domestic	M Other specialised business services	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	74 Other specialised business services	Total employed persons	2022*	5	5	0	0	15	20	0	0
Domestic	74 Other specialised business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	5	5	0	0	10	10	0	0
Domestic	74 Other specialised business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	0	10	0	0
Domestic	74 Other specialised business services	250 and more employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	74 Other specialised business services	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	N Renting and other business support	Total employed persons	2022*	10	15	0	0	20	30	0	0
Domestic	N Renting and other business support	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	10	10	0	0	15	20	0	0
Domestic	N Renting and other business support	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	0	0	0	0
Domestic	N Renting and other business support	250 and more employed persons	2022*	0	5	0	0	0	5	0	0
Domestic	N Renting and other business support	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	82 Other business services	Total employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	0	0	0	0
Domestic	82 Other business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	0	0	0	0
Domestic	82 Other business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	82 Other business services	250 and more employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Domestic	82 Other business services	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Total employed persons	2022*	130	700	15	155	85	205	5	5
Foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	30	85	0	40	15	25	0	0
Foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	40	190	5	60	40	80	0	0
Foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	250 and more employed persons	2022*	60	425	10	55	35	100	0	0
Foreign	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	M-N Business services	Total employed persons	2022*	15	160	5	95	5	20	0	0
Foreign	M-N Business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	10	10	0	0	5	10	0	0
Foreign	M-N Business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	5	90	0	55	0	0	0	0
Foreign	M-N Business services	250 and more employed persons	2022*	0	55	0	35	0	5	0	0
Foreign	M-N Business services	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	M Other specialised business services	Total employed persons	2022*	10	100	5	40	5	15	0	0
Foreign	M Other specialised business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	5	10	0	0	5	10	0	0
Foreign	M Other specialised business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	5	35	0	5	0	0	0	0
Foreign	M Other specialised business services	250 and more employed persons	2022*	0	55	0	35	0	5	0	0
Foreign	M Other specialised business services	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	74 Other specialised business services	Total employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	74 Other specialised business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	74 Other specialised business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	74 Other specialised business services	250 and more employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	74 Other specialised business services	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	N Renting and other business support	Total employed persons	2022*	5	55	0	50	0	5	0	0
Foreign	N Renting and other business support	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	0	5	0	0
Foreign	N Renting and other business support	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	0	55	0	50	.	.	.	.
Foreign	N Renting and other business support	250 and more employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	N Renting and other business support	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	82 Other business services	Total employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	82 Other business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	82 Other business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	82 Other business services	250 and more employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Foreign	82 Other business services	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Total employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	A-N Business economy and agriculture	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	A-N Business economy and agriculture	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	A-N Business economy and agriculture	250 and more employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	A-N Business economy and agriculture	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	M-N Business services	Total employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	M-N Business services	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	M-N Business services	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	M-N Business services	250 and more employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Equally-shared control	M-N Business services	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
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: 2011

Status of the figures:
The figures from 2011 to 2020 are final. The figures for 2021 are revised provisional. The figures for 2022 are provisional.

Changes as of 31 July 2025:
The figures for 2020 and 2021 have been adjusted and the provisional figures for 2022 have been added. Additionally, the series has been expanded with figures for 2011 and 2012.

Changes as of 21 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).

When will new figures be published?
Beginning of 2026 the figures for 2021 and 2022 will be updated. Mid 2026 the figures for 2021 and 2022 will be updated and new figures for 2023 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.