Annual Report 2015 Country profile: Netherlands Embargoed until: 3 March 2016 Contact: press@epo.org www.epo.org/media Date of publication: 3 March 2016
Growth of European patent applications global 142 822 148 562 148 027 152 703 +4.8% 160 022 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Applications refer to direct European patent applications filed at the EPO under the European Patent Convention, plus international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) filings which entered the European regional phase (becoming a European application) in the year under review. They are the files for which applicants have actually decided to request a European patent at the EPO, and make up the Office s workload. 2
Origin of European patent applications in 2015 Others 5% P.R. China S. Korea Germany 16% Japan 13% France 7% United States 27% Netherlands Switzerland United Kingdom 3% Italy 2% Sweden 2% Other EPO member states 8% including: Austria 1% Ireland 0. Belgium 1% Poland 0. Denmark 1% Portugal 0.1% Finland 1% Spain 1% EPO member states 47% Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and international (PCT) applications entering the European phase). Applications have been allocated to the country of residence of the first-name applicant. EPO: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, including EU28 Note: Sums may vary slightly due to rounding. 3
Top countries for European patent applications TOP40 2015 Change 2015 Change 2015 Change 1 United States 42 692 16. 15 Denmark 1 930-2.7% 29 Russian Federation 230 10.0% 2 Germany 24 820-3.2% 16 Canada 1 645-3.7% 30 Czech Republic 213 27.5% 3 Japan 21 426-3.1% 17 Spain 1 527 3.8% 31 New Zealand 188 4. 4 France 10 781 1.6% 18 Chinese Taipei 1 260 12.6% 32 Brazil 187-10.1% 5 Netherlands 7 100 3.3% 19 Israel 1 100 5.0% 33 Saudi Arabia 182-37.2% 6 Switzerland 7 088 2.6% 20 Australia 819 3.9% 34 Portugal 137 21.2% 7 S. Korea 6 411 4.0% 21 Ireland 582-6. 35 Cayman Islands 119-20.7% 8 P.R. China 5 721 22.2% 22 India 574 6.1% 36 Slovenia 118-5.6% 9 United Kingdom 5 037 5.7% 23 Poland 568 17.8% 37 Virgin Islands. British 111 0.0% 10 Italy 3 979 9.0% 24 Norway 512-3.2% 38 Hungary 99-13.2% 11 Sweden 3 839-0.9% 25 Turkey 447 10.9% 39 South Africa 98-12.5% 12 Belgium 2 041 5.9% 26 Luxembourg 404-11.0% 40 Greece 86-9.5% 13 Finland 2 000-8.3% 27 Singapore 391 7. 14 Austria 1 992 1. 28 Liechtenstein 371 33.5% Applications refer to direct European patent applications filed at the EPO under the European Patent Convention, plus international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) filings continuing in the European regional phase (becoming a European application). 4
European patent applications Netherlands 5 627 5 067 5 852 6 874 +3.3% 7 100 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Applications refer to direct European patent applications filed at the EPO under the European Patent Convention, plus international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) filings which entered the European regional phase (becoming a European application) in the year under review. 5
European patent grants Netherlands 1 819 1 711 1 883 1 703 +17.3% 1 998 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Grants refer to patents granted by the EPO after a detailed examination process of the patent application (ensuring it fulfils all the requirements of patent protection) and published in the year under review. 6
Leading fields of technology global TOP10 2015 Change 1 Medical technology 12 474 11.0% 2 Digital communication 10 762 3.2% 3 Computer technology 10 549 7.8% 4 Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy 10 198-1.8% 5 Transport 7 802-1.6% 6 Measurement 7 727 8.0% 7 Organic fine chemistry 6 414 2.1% 8 Engines, pumps, turbines 6 374 17.9% 9 Biotechnology 6 048 5.1% 10 Pharmaceuticals 5 884 9.6% Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and international (PCT) applications entering the European phase). 7
Leading 15 fields of technology Netherlands (75% of all applications) 2015 3% 3% 2% 2% 5% 5% 11% 6% 9% 9% 2014 2% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 5% 5% 11% 11% 9% 5% Medical technology Biotechnology Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy Computer technology Measurement Basic materials chemistry Optics Organic fine chemistry Other special machines Food chemistry Macromolecular chemistry, polymers Digital communication Civil engineering Chemical engineering Semiconductors Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and international (PCT) applications entering the European phase). 8
Top EPO applicants 2015 TOP10 2015 Change 1 Philips 2 402 3.7% 2 Samsung 2 366-6.9% 3 LG 2 091 27.7% 4 Huawei 1 953 22.1% 5 Siemens 1 894-11.2% 6 United Technologies 1 869 110.0% 7 Qualcomm 1 705 16.9% 8 Robert Bosch 1 493 3.8% 9 BASF 1 384-9.5% 10 General Electric 1 316 57.0% EPO member states United States S. Korea P.R. China Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and international (PCT) applications entering the European phase). 9
Top applicants at the EPO in 2015 from the Netherlands 1 PHILIPS 2402 16 PURAC BV 32 2 DSM 760 17 3 AIRBUS 667 18 4 SHELL 305 19 5 NXP 247 20 6 ASML 197 21 7 UNILEVER NV/PLC 186 22 8 CNH INDUSTRIAL 180 23 9 GEMALTO 140 24 10 NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE TNO 113 25 11 AKZO NOBEL 112 26 12 LYONDELLBASELL 76 27 13 KONINKLIJKE KPN 64 28 14 QIAGEN 64 29 15 NUTRICIA 45 30 This year s ranking includes domestic companies only, and not foreign companies with a branch in the country. Activities in the country from foreign companies are included in other lists. 10
European patent applications per million inhabitants TOP30 Applications 2015 Population Ratio: appl. per mio. inhabitants Applications 2015 Population Ratio: appl. per mio. inhabitants EU28: 132 1 Switzerland 7 088 8 121 830 873 16 United Kingdom 5 037 64 088 222 79 2 Netherlands 7 100 16 947 904 419 17 Singapore 391 5 674 472 69 3 Sweden 3 839 9 801 616 392 18 Italy 3 979 61 855 120 64 4 Finland 2 000 5 476 922 365 19 Slovenia 118 1 983 412 60 5 Denmark 1 930 5 581 503 346 20 Chinese Taipei 1 260 23 415 126 54 6 Germany 24 820 80 854 408 307 21 Canada 1 645 35 099 836 47 7 Austria 1 992 8 665 550 230 22 New Zealand 188 4 438 393 42 8 Belgium 2 041 11 323 973 180 23 Australia 819 22 751 014 36 9 Japan 21 426 126 919 659 169 24 Spain 1 527 48 146 134 32 10 France 10 781 66 553 766 162 25 Cyprus 37 1 189 197 31 11 Israel 1 100 8 049 314 137 26 Estonia 32 1 265 420 25 12 United States 42 692 321 368 864 133 27 Czech Republic 213 10 644 842 20 13 S. Korea 6 411 49 115 196 130 28 Poland 568 38 562 189 15 14 Ireland 582 4 892 305 119 29 Latvia 29 1 986 705 15 15 Norway 512 5 207 689 98 30 Lithuania 39 2 884 433 14 Analysis based on European patent applications filed with the EPO (Direct European applications and international (PCT) applications entering the European phase) Source of population figures: U.S. Census Bureau, International Database 11
Regional distribution The Netherlands European patent applications 2015 Regional distribution NETHERLANDS Province 2015share 2014 Growth Flevoland 37 0,5% 24 54,2% Gelderland 376 5,3% 289 30,1% Overijssel 119 1,7% 131-9,2% Drenthe 21 0,3% 29-27,6% Friesland 35 0,5% 40-12,5% Groningen 47 0,7% 36 30,6% Limburg 1125 15,9% 1174-4,2% North Brabant 3381 47,7% 3226 4,8% North Holland 614 8,7% 494 24,3% South Holland 1159 16,3% 1142 1,5% Utrecht 163 2,3% 229-28,8% Zeeland 16 0,2% 25-36,0% Total 7093 6839 12