Patent applicants and applications; technology field (CPC)

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Technology area 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 820 3,935 70 430 900 1,450 10 15
A Human necessities 275 1,124 27 102 273 371 5 7
A1 Agriculture 83 129 6 9 109 141 2 2
A2 Foodstuffs and tobacco 51 152 5 10 39 71 0 0
A3 Personal or domestic articles 41 119 2 3 53 52 0 0
A4 Health and amusement 146 806 19 89 88 120 3 5
B Performing operations; transporting 315 692 22 41 321 496 4 4
B1 Separating and mixing 88 171 12 26 64 84 1 1
B2 Shaping 103 215 7 9 90 133 0 0
B3 Printing 11 36 0 0 8 10 0 0
B4 Transporting 192 324 11 9 203 306 4 3
B5 Micro-structural and nanotechnology 7 9 0 0 3 6 0 0
C Chemistry; metallurgy 193 675 37 124 99 159 2 3
C1 Chemistry 180 630 37 123 87 141 2 3
C2 Metallurgy 28 65 2 9 20 28 1 1
C3 Combinatorial technology . . . . . . . .
D Textiles; paper 30 47 2 6 12 12 0 0
D1 Textiles or flexible materials n.e.c. 22 37 2 6 9 10 0 0
D2 Paper 10 10 0 0 3 2 0 0
E Fixed constructions 100 222 3 87 156 186 0 0
E1 Building 89 120 2 2 148 174 0 0
E2 Earth or rock drilling and mining 13 105 1 85 11 15 0 0
F Mechanical engineering; lighting. 143 374 12 18 163 203 3 3
F1 Engines or pumps 40 61 6 8 44 59 2 2
F2 Engineering in general 62 91 6 10 50 58 1 1
F3 Lighting and heating 61 233 2 2 72 86 0 0
F4 Weapons and blasting 2 3 0 0 2 2 0 0
G Physics 194 1,269 21 128 165 269 2 2
G1 Physics: instruments 192 1,261 21 128 165 269 2 2
G2 Nucleonics 5 10 0 0 . . . .
H Electricity 131 889 22 73 112 194 5 5
Y New/cross-sectional developments 86 168 6 10 56 77 2 2
Y1 Mitigation against climate change 86 168 6 10 56 77 2 2
Y2 Other cross-sectional developments 1 1 0 0 . . . .
Unknown . . . . . . . .
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 the technology field the invention relates to, according to the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC). This does not necessarily have to be the same area in which the applicant is economically active (SIC).

If a patent application relates to multiple technology fields, it is counted in full for each separate technology field. Due to this method the total number of patents for the subcategories are usually higher than the overarching category to which they belong. For example, a patent application relating to subcategories A1 and A2 counts separately for both, but is only counted once under the overarching category ‘A Human necessities’. This method of counting provides insight into how many patent applications can actually be attributed to the individual technology fields and which technology fields occur more frequently within the overarching categories.

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 February 27, 2026:
Provisional figures for 2021 and 2022 have been updated.


Changes as of December 8, 2025:
None, this is a new table.

When will new figures be published?
Mid 2026 the figures for 2021 and 2022 will be updated and new figures for 2023 will be added. Beginning of 2027 the figures for 2022 and 2023 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.