Filings are a preliminary patent application activity indicating the potential interest of innovating businesses from all over the world in the European technology market. In 2015, European patent filings grew again (+1,6%) reaching a new high of nearly 279 000.
The share of international filings under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) has increased significantly over the past five years. In 2015, total filings at the EPO included close to 62 000 direct European filings under the European Patent Convention and around 217 000 international filings under the PCT.
Roughly a third of the total filings in 2015 came from the EPO member states and two-thirds from outside Europe. The top five countries were again the US, Japan, Germany, China and South Korea.
Analysis based on the European patent filings 2014-2015 (Direct European filings under the EPC and international filings under
the PCT)| Country | 2015 | 2014 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 65 754 | 70 681 | -7% |
| Japan | 50 597 | 49 007 | 3.2% |
| Germany | 31 670 | 31 691 | -0.1% |
| Germany | 31 670 | 31 691 | -0.1% |
| China, People’s Republic of | 31 504 | 26 437 | 19.2% |
| Korea, Republic of | 18 215 | 16 528 | 10.2% |
| France | 13 370 | 13 194 | 1.3% |
| France | 13 370 | 13 194 | 1.3% |
| Netherlands | 8 451 | 8 163 | 3.5% |
| Netherlands | 8 451 | 8 163 | 3.5% |
| Switzerland | 8 354 | 7 961 | 4.9% |
| Swaziland | 3 | 0 | |
| Saint Lucia | 1 | 0 | |
| United Kingdom | 7 095 | 6 917 | 2.6% |
| United Kingdom | 7 095 | 6 917 | 2.6% |
| Sweden | 5 075 | 5 083 | -0.2% |
| Sweden | 5 075 | 5 083 | 0.2% |
| Italy | 5 034 | 4 744 | 6.1% |
| Italy | 5 034 | 4 744 | 6.1% |
| Canada | 3 264 | 3 543 | -7.9% |
| Cameroon | 1 | 0 | |
| Austria | 2 486 | 2 503 | -0.7% |
| Austria | 2 486 | 2 503 | -0.7% |
| Spain | 2 387 | 2 482 | -3.8% |
| Spain | 2 387 | 2 482 | -3.8% |
| Finland | 2 371 | 2 544 | -6.8% |
| Finland | 2 371 | 2 544 | -6.8% |
| Denmark | 2 318 | 2 341 | -1% |
| Denmark | 2 318 | 2 341 | -1% |
| Belgium | 2 381 | 2 305 | 3.3% |
| Belgium | 2 381 | 2 305 | 3.3% |
| Israel | 1 925 | 1 834 | 5% |
| Australia | 1 822 | 1 829 | -0.4% |
| India | 1 574 | 1 543 | 2% |
| Turkey | 1 090 | 1 013 | 7.6% |
| Tanzania, United Republic of | 2 | 0 | |
| Singapore | 1 029 | 1 005 | 2.4% |
| Chinese Taipei | 1 098 | 981 | 11.9% |
| Russian Federation | 788 | 993 | -20.6% |
| Norway | 775 | 809 | -4.2% |
| Ireland | 743 | 742 | 0.1% |
| Ireland | 743 | 742 | 0.1% |
| Poland | 842 | 699 | 20.5% |
| Poland | 842 | 699 | 20.5% |
| Brazil | 604 | 640 | -5.6% |
| Paraguay | 1 | 0 | |
| Luxembourg | 586 | 580 | 1% |
| Luxembourg | 586 | 580 | 1% |
| Libya | 1 | 0 | |
| Liechtenstein | 457 | 412 | 10.9% |
| Malaysia | 271 | 322 | -15.8% |
| New Zealand | 383 | 363 | 5.5% |
| Saudi Arabia | 364 | 437 | -16.7% |
| South Africa | 319 | 323 | -1.2% |
| Mexico | 300 | 298 | 0.7% |
| Czech Republic | 314 | 284 | 10.6% |
| Czech Republic | 314 | 284 | 10.6% |
| not classified | 238 | 215 | 10.7% |
| Slovenia | 165 | 224 | -26.3% |
| Slovenia | 165 | 224 | -26.3% |
| Hungary | 176 | 189 | -6.9% |
| Hungary | 176 | 189 | -6.9% |
| Barbados | 143 | 186 | -23.1% |
| Greece | 153 | 187 | -18.2% |
| Greece | 153 | 187 | -18.2% |
| Guernsey | 1 | 0 | |
| Portugal | 218 | 192 | 13.5% |
| Portugal | 218 | 192 | 13.5% |
| Ukraine | 137 | 148 | -7.4% |
| Chile | 173 | 145 | 19.3% |
| United Arab Emirates | 87 | 109 | -20.2% |
| Colombia | 93 | 101 | -7.9% |
| Malta | 113 | 89 | 27% |
| Malta | 113 | 89 | 27% |
| Slovakia | 57 | 80 | -28.8% |
| Slovakia | 57 | 80 | -28.8% |
| Thailand | 116 | 71 | 63.4% |
| Bulgaria | 72 | 70 | 2.9% |
| Bulgaria | 72 | 70 | 2.9% |
| Cyprus | 67 | 60 | 11.7% |
| Cyprus | 67 | 60 | 11.7% |
| Lithuania | 67 | 67 | 0% |
| Lithuania | 67 | 67 | 0% |
| Croatia | 36 | 56 | -35.7% |
| Croatia | 36 | 56 | -35.7% |
| Estonia | 58 | 55 | 5.5% |
| Estonia | 58 | 55 | 5.5% |
| Egypt | 63 | 47 | 34% |
| Iceland | 59 | 47 | 25.5% |
| Romania | 54 | 44 | 22.7% |
| Romania | 54 | 44 | 22.7% |
| Morocco | 60 | 62 | -3.2% |
| Bermuda | 47 | 45 | 4.4% |
| Monaco | 54 | 43 | 25.6% |
| Philippines | 35 | 37 | -5.4% |
| Virgin Islands, British | 19 | 34 | -44.1% |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | 64 | 38 | 68.4% |
| Argentina | 39 | 36 | 8.3% |
| Cayman Islands | 27 | 32 | -15.6% |
| Latvia | 55 | 30 | 83.3% |
| Latvia | 55 | 30 | 83.3% |
| Bahamas | 14 | 24 | -41.7% |
| Serbia | 31 | 21 | 47.6% |
| Kazakhstan | 26 | 21 | 23.8% |
| Sri Lanka | 14 | 21 | -33.3% |
| Costa Rica | 8 | 12 | -33.3% |
| Qatar | 16 | 18 | -11.1% |
| Hong Kong | 62 | 17 | 264.7% |
| Belarus | 17 | 13 | 30.8% |
| Indonesia | 17 | 18 | -5.6% |
| Panama | 20 | 18 | 11.1% |
| Peru | 18 | 17 | 5.9% |
| Ecuador | 1 | 7 | -85.7% |
| Uruguay | 9 | 10 | -10% |
| Niger | 1 | 0 | |
| Nigeria | 5 | 4 | 25% |
| Kenya | 13 | 9 | 44.4% |
| Kuwait | 4 | 8 | -50% |
| Tunisia | 10 | 8 | 25% |
| Viet Nam | 19 | 7 | 171.4% |
| Cuba | 2 | 5 | -60% |
| Armenia | 7 | 4 | 75% |
| Algeria | 10 | 7 | 42.9% |
| San Marino | 5 | 5 | 0% |
| Seychelles | 6 | 6 | 0% |
| Uzbekistan | 4 | 6 | -33.3% |
| Lebanon | 7 | 5 | 40% |
| Jordan | 3 | 6 | -50% |
| Dominican Republic | 3 | 3 | 0% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3 | 5 | -40% |
| Bahrain | 5 | 3 | 66.7% |
| Macedonia, Former Yugoslav Republic of | 2 | 4 | -50% |
| Namibia | 3 | 3 | 0% |
| Belize | 1 | 5 | -80% |
| Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of | 5 | 5 | 0% |
| Senegal | 15 | 3 | 400% |
| Lao People’s Democratic Republic | 1 | 2 | -50% |
| Pakistan | 2 | 3 | -33.3% |
| Azerbaijan | 3 | 1 | 200% |
| Moldova, Republic of | 7 | 4 | 75% |
| Sudan | 6 | 4 | 50% |
| Mauritius | 5 | 3 | 66.7% |
| Angola | 1 | 2 | -50% |
| Uganda | 1 | 4 | -75% |
| Macao | 6 | 3 | 100% |
| Albania | 3 | 3 | 0% |
| Curaçao | 4 | 2 | 100% |
| Georgia | 5 | 1 | 400% |
| Gibraltar | 6 | 2 | 200% |
| Jamaica | 0 | 2 | -100% |
| Andorra | 7 | 3 | 133.3% |
| Anguilla | 0 | 2 | -100% |
| Saint Vincent and The Grenadines | 0 | 2 | -100% |
| Palestine, State of | 0 | 2 | -100% |
| Marshall Islands | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| Liberia | 1 | 1 | 0% |
| Benin | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Guatemala | 2 | 1 | 100% |
| El Salvador | 3 | 3 | 0% |
| Montenegro | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Vanuatu | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Cote d’Ivoire | 2 | 2 | 0% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Madagascar | 1 | 2 | -50% |
| Venezuela | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Syrian Arab Republic | 2 | 2 | 0% |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of | 0 | 1 | -100% |
| Puerto Rico | 11 | 1 | 1000% |
| Yemen | 1 | 0 | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 4 | 1 | 300% |
| Samoa | 8 | 0 | |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 4 | 2 | 100% |
| Rwanda | 1 | 0 | |
| Oman | 3 | 0 | |
| Ghana | 1 | 0 | |
| Brunei Darussalam | 4 | 0 | |
| Bangladesh | 6 | 2 | 200% |
| Zimbabwe | 1 | 0 | |
| Gabon | 1 | 0 | |
| Isle of Man | 1 | 0 | |
| Mongolia | 1 | 0 |
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