Patent Index 2019

Applicants

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Top 25

This ranking shows the largest applicants1 at the EPO, indicating their country of origin2.

  • EPO states3
  • US
  • JP
  • CN
  • KR
  • 1.HUAWEI
    3 524
  • 2.SAMSUNG
    2 858
  • 3.LG
    2 817
  • 4.UNITED TECHNOLOGIES
    2 813
  • 5.SIEMENS
    2 619
  • 6.QUALCOMM
    1 668
  • 7.ERICSSON
    1 616
  • 8.ROYAL PHILIPS
    1 542
  • 9.SONY
    1 512
  • 10.ROBERT BOSCH
    1 498
  • 11.BASF
    1 366
  • 12.GENERAL ELECTRIC
    1 247
  • 13.ALPHABET
    1 196
  • 14.MICROSOFT
    1 112
  • 15.JOHNSON & JOHNSON
    973
  • 16.OPPO4
    900
  • 17.INTEL
    818
  • 18.PANASONIC
    782
  • 19.HITACHI
    740
  • 20.NOKIA
    733
  • 21.CANON
    698
  • 22.ABB
    689
  • 23.MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC
    685
  • 24.HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE
    677
  • 25.BOEING
    661
  • EPO states3
  • US
  • JP
  • CN
  • KR
Source: EPO.
Status: 27.1.2020.
1 This is the ranking of the main consolidated applicants at the EPO in 2019 (first-named applicant principle). It is based on European patent applications filed with the EPO, which include direct European applications and international (PCT) applications that entered the European phase during the reporting period.
2 The countries refer to the country of residence of the headquarters.
3 EPO states: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, which includes the 28 states of the EU.
4 Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications.

Top 50

This ranking shows the largest applicants1 at the EPO (first-named applicant principle). It indicates the total number of European applications filed with the EPO for each and the split between direct European applications (Direct) and international (PCT) applications that entered the European phase (PCT regional) during the reporting period.

  • Direct
  • PCT regional2
  • 1.HUAWEI
    3 524
  • 2.SAMSUNG
    2 858
  • 3.LG
    2 817
  • 4.UNITED TECHNOLOGIES
    2 813
  • 5.SIEMENS
    2 619
  • 6.QUALCOMM
    1 668
  • 7.ERICSSON
    1 616
  • 8.ROYAL PHILIPS
    1 542
  • 9.SONY
    1 512
  • 10.ROBERT BOSCH
    1 498
  • 11.BASF
    1 366
  • 12.GENERAL ELECTRIC
    1 247
  • 13.ALPHABET
    1 196
  • 14.MICROSOFT
    1 112
  • 15.JOHNSON & JOHNSON
    973
  • 16.OPPO3
    900
  • 17.INTEL
    818
  • 18.PANASONIC
    782
  • 19.HITACHI
    740
  • 20.NOKIA
    733
  • 21.CANON
    698
  • 22.ABB
    689
  • 23.MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC
    685
  • 24.HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE
    677
  • 25.BOEING
    661
  • 26.SIGNIFY
    656
  • 27.PROCTER & GAMBLE
    618
  • 28.CONTINENTAL
    617
  • 29.DOW CHEMICAL
    608
  • 30.CEA4
    597
  • 31.3M
    576
  • 32.FRAUNHOFER5
    575
  • 33.HP
    566
  • 33.MEDTRONIC
    566
  • 35.SABIC
    552
  • 36.TOYOTA MOTOR
    541
  • 37.VALEO
    539
  • 38.AIRBUS
    530
  • 39.BAYER
    524
  • 40.HONEYWELL
    514
  • 41.ROLLS-ROYCE
    494
  • 42.MERCK KGAA
    482
  • 43.UNILEVER
    455
  • 44.INTERDIGITAL
    425
  • 45.ALIBABA
    424
  • 45.PHILIP MORRIS
    424
  • 47.VOLKSWAGEN
    422
  • 48.SAFRAN
    411
  • 49.TOSHIBA
    406
  • 50.MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND6
    401
  • Direct
  • PCT regional2
Source: EPO.
Status: 27.1.2020.
1 This is the ranking of the main consolidated applicants at the EPO in 2019 (first-named applicant principle). It is based on European patent applications filed with the EPO, which include direct European applications and international (PCT) applications that entered the European phase during the reporting period. Applications by identifiable subsidiaries, not necessarily located in the same country, are allocated to the consolidated applicants.
2 PCT applications that entered the European phase during the reporting period.
3 Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications.
4 Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives.
5 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
6 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

Shares in applications originating from Europe 1

A breakdown of applications originating from European countries shows that 72% of them were filed by large companies, 18% by SMEs and individual inventors, and 10% by universities and public research organisations. This shows that a significant proportion of applicants at the EPO are smaller entities.

Shares in applications
2019
Large enterprises 72%
SMEs2, individual inventors 18%
Universities and public research organisations3 10%
Source: EPO.
1 This breakdown is based on a large representative sample of patent applications filed with the EPO in 2019 by applicants located in member states of the European Patent Organisation.
2 SMEs have been identified based on the European Commission definition of SMEs (2003/361/EC).
According to this definition, an SME is i) an independent company with ii) less than 250 staff and iii) a turnover below €50 million and/or a balance sheet below €43 million.
Detailed financial data and company ownership data from the BvD Orbis database have been used to enable a strict application of this definition.
3 This category includes technology transfer offices that while registered as corporate entities are clearly affiliated to a university or public research organisation.

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