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-U All economic activities	Total employed persons	2022*	565	2,660	50	205	900	1,450	10	15
Total domestic and foreign	A-U All economic activities	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	245	360	15	60	445	615	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	A-U All economic activities	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	105	295	5	60	130	240	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	A-U All economic activities	250 and more employed persons	2022*	135	1,875	25	90	115	400	5	10
Total domestic and foreign	A-U All economic activities	Employed persons unknown	2022*	80	130	5	5	210	195	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	06 Extraction of crude petroleum and gas	Total employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	06 Extraction of crude petroleum and gas	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	06 Extraction of crude petroleum and gas	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	06 Extraction of crude petroleum and gas	250 and more employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	06 Extraction of crude petroleum and gas	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	09 Mining support activities	Total employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	0	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	09 Mining support activities	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	09 Mining support activities	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	09 Mining support activities	250 and more employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	0	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	09 Mining support activities	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	C Manufacturing	Total employed persons	2022*	200	1,840	15	35	255	500	5	5
Total domestic and foreign	C Manufacturing	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	55	80	0	0	110	140	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	C Manufacturing	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	70	135	5	5	85	130	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	C Manufacturing	250 and more employed persons	2022*	75	1,625	10	30	60	230	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	C Manufacturing	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	10-12 Manufacture of food and beverages	Total employed persons	2022*	15	25	0	0	15	35	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	10-12 Manufacture of food and beverages	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	5	10	0	0	10	10	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	10-12 Manufacture of food and beverages	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	10-12 Manufacture of food and beverages	250 and more employed persons	2022*	5	15	0	0	5	25	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	10-12 Manufacture of food and beverages	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	10 Manufacture of food products	Total employed persons	2022*	10	20	0	0	10	35	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	10 Manufacture of food products	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	5	10	0	0	5	10	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	10 Manufacture of food products	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	10 Manufacture of food products	250 and more employed persons	2022*	5	10	0	0	5	25	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	10 Manufacture of food products	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	11 Manufacture of beverages	Total employed persons	2022*	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	11 Manufacture of beverages	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	11 Manufacture of beverages	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	11 Manufacture of beverages	250 and more employed persons	2022*	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	11 Manufacture of beverages	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	12 Manufacture of tobacco products	Total employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	12 Manufacture of tobacco products	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	12 Manufacture of tobacco products	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	12 Manufacture of tobacco products	250 and more employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	12 Manufacture of tobacco products	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	13 Manufacture of textiles	Total employed persons	2022*	5	10	0	0	5	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	13 Manufacture of textiles	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	0	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	13 Manufacture of textiles	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	13 Manufacture of textiles	250 and more employed persons	2022*	0	5	0	0	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	13 Manufacture of textiles	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	14 Manufacture of wearing apparel	Total employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	14 Manufacture of wearing apparel	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	14 Manufacture of wearing apparel	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	14 Manufacture of wearing apparel	250 and more employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	14 Manufacture of wearing apparel	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	15 Manufacture of leather and footwear	Total employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	15 Manufacture of leather and footwear	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	15 Manufacture of leather and footwear	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	15 Manufacture of leather and footwear	250 and more employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	15 Manufacture of leather and footwear	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	16 Manufacture of wood products	Total employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	5	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	16 Manufacture of wood products	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	5	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	16 Manufacture of wood products	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	16 Manufacture of wood products	250 and more employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	16 Manufacture of wood products	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	17-18 Manufacture of paper and printing	Total employed persons	2022*	5	5	0	0	5	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	17-18 Manufacture of paper and printing	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	17-18 Manufacture of paper and printing	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	17-18 Manufacture of paper and printing	250 and more employed persons	2022*	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	17-18 Manufacture of paper and printing	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	17 Manufacture of paper	Total employed persons	2022*	5	5	0	0	5	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	17 Manufacture of paper	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	17 Manufacture of paper	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	17 Manufacture of paper	250 and more employed persons	2022*	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	17 Manufacture of paper	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	19 Manufacture of coke and petroleum	Total employed persons	2022*	0	10	0	0	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	19 Manufacture of coke and petroleum	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	19 Manufacture of coke and petroleum	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	19 Manufacture of coke and petroleum	250 and more employed persons	2022*	0	10	0	0	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	19 Manufacture of coke and petroleum	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	20 Manufacture of chemicals	Total employed persons	2022*	25	170	5	5	10	15	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	20 Manufacture of chemicals	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	5	15	0	0	5	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	20 Manufacture of chemicals	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	10	30	0	0	5	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	20 Manufacture of chemicals	250 and more employed persons	2022*	10	125	5	5	0	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	20 Manufacture of chemicals	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	21 Manufacture of pharmaceuticals	Total employed persons	2022*	5	15	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	21 Manufacture of pharmaceuticals	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	5	10	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	21 Manufacture of pharmaceuticals	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	0	5	0	0	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	21 Manufacture of pharmaceuticals	250 and more employed persons	2022*	0	5	0	0	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	21 Manufacture of pharmaceuticals	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	22 Manufacture rubber, plastic products	Total employed persons	2022*	15	20	0	0	20	35	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	22 Manufacture rubber, plastic products	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	5	10	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	22 Manufacture rubber, plastic products	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	10	15	0	0	5	10	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	22 Manufacture rubber, plastic products	250 and more employed persons	2022*	5	10	0	0	5	15	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	22 Manufacture rubber, plastic products	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	23 Manufacture of building materials	Total employed persons	2022*	5	5	0	0	10	10	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	23 Manufacture of building materials	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	5	5	0	0	5	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	23 Manufacture of building materials	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	23 Manufacture of building materials	250 and more employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	5	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	23 Manufacture of building materials	Employed persons unknown	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	24 Manufacture of basic metals	Total employed persons	2022*	5	10	0	0	10	10	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	24 Manufacture of basic metals	0 to 49 employed persons	2022*	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Total domestic and foreign	24 Manufacture of basic metals	50 to 249 employed persons	2022*	0	0	0	0	5	5	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	24 Manufacture of basic metals	250 and more employed persons	2022*	5	5	0	0	5	10	0	0
Total domestic and foreign	24 Manufacture of basic metals	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.