Dutch companies and inventors filed a total of 7,054 patent applications at the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2024. This ranks the Netherlands third within the European Union (EU) in terms of patent applications.
This was revealed in the EPO's Patent Index 2024. Globally, the Netherlands ranks eighth. In the lead are the United States with 47,787 applications, followed by Germany with 25,033. Japan rounds off the top three with 21,062 applications, closely followed by China with 20,081 applications. South Korea is in fifth position with 13,107.
Globally, the number of applications from Hong Kong rose the fastest at 12.2%. The biggest decreaser was Saudi Arabia, which filed 21% fewer applications.
Most Dutch applications related to medical technology
Most patent applications from the Netherlands were related to medical technology, with a total of 741 applications. Philips was again the largest applicant within this sector.
The strongest growth was seen in the number of patent applications related to macromolecular chemistry and polymers. The number of applications increased by 24.6% compared to 2023. The chip sector also showed strong growth (+19.7%). On the contrary, from food chemistry, the number of applications decreased the most (-20.8%).
More computer technology applications
More and more patent applications are related to computer technology. The number of applications around this topic rose by 4.8%.
There is also an increasing focus on developments around clean energy. For instance, the number of patent applications relating to electrical machinery, appliances and energy rose by 8.9%. The number of applications related to battery technology rose by 24%.
Philips is largest applicant in the Netherlands
Philips is once again the largest patent applicant from the Netherlands. Globally, the company ranks 11th with 1,231 applications. Signify follows in 23rd place with 742 patent applications. Within the top 10 Dutch patent applicants, chip company NXP Semiconductors shows the biggest growth; the company filed 479 applications, which is 29.5% more than a year earlier.
Globally, Samsung is the largest patent applicant with 5,107 applications. Huawei follows with 4,322 and LG with 3,623 applications.
A quarter involve female inventors
A quarter of Dutch patent applications in 2024 involved a female inventor. This puts the Netherlands in the European average; the average within the European Union (EU) is also 25%.
Unitary patents have been available since 2023. These patents give patent protection to inventors in 18 EU member states with just one application to the EPO. Among Dutch inventors, this form of patent is increasingly popular.
“Despite political and economic uncertainties, European companies and inventors filed more patent applications last year, underlining their technological strength and their continued investment in R&D,” said EPO President António Campinos. “The EPO’s patent data provide a clear guide to industrial, policy and investment priorities. As the reports by Draghi and Letta warn, Europe must strengthen its innovation ecosystem and do more to help inventors scale up and commercialise their inventions, particularly in critical areas such as green technologies, AI and semiconductors, if it is to remain globally competitive.”
Further information on the 2024 Patent Index is available here.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Image: Pexels via Pixabay
