Patent Index 2021

Applicants

Related links

Key figures summary
Key figures video
More statistics to download
Loading ...

Top 25

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

  • EPO states3
  • US
  • JP
  • CN
  • KR
  • 1.HUAWEI
    3 544
  • 2.SAMSUNG
    3 439
  • 3.LG
    2 422
  • 4.ERICSSON
    1 884
  • 5.SIEMENS
    1 720
  • 6.RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES
    1 623
  • 7.QUALCOMM
    1 534
  • 8.SONY
    1 465
  • 9.ROYAL PHILIPS
    1 311
  • 10.ROBERT BOSCH
    1 289
  • 11.BASF
    1 284
  • 12.MICROSOFT
    1 211
  • 13.OPPO MOBILE4
    1 057
  • 14.NOKIA
    1 038
  • 15.ALPHABET
    1 023
  • 16.GENERAL ELECTRIC
    871
  • 17.JOHNSON & JOHNSON
    861
  • 18.INTEL
    843
  • 19.PANASONIC
    781
  • 20.HITACHI
    774
  • 21.SIEMENS ENERGY
    748
  • 22.ZTE
    719
  • 23.BAIDU
    691
  • 24.SIGNIFY
    641
  • 25.MEDTRONIC
    640
  • EPO states3
  • US
  • JP
  • CN
  • KR
Source: EPO.
Status: 1.2.2022.
1 This is the ranking of the main consolidated applicants at the EPO in 2021 (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 Country of residence of the headquarters.
3 EPO states: the 38 member states of the European Patent Organisation, which include the 27 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
    3 544
  • 2.SAMSUNG
    3 439
  • 3.LG
    2 422
  • 4.ERICSSON
    1 884
  • 5.SIEMENS
    1 720
  • 6.RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES
    1 623
  • 7.QUALCOMM
    1 534
  • 8.SONY
    1 465
  • 9.ROYAL PHILIPS
    1 311
  • 10.ROBERT BOSCH
    1 289
  • 11.BASF
    1 284
  • 12.MICROSOFT
    1 211
  • 13.OPPO MOBILE3
    1 057
  • 14.NOKIA
    1 038
  • 15.ALPHABET
    1 023
  • 16.GENERAL ELECTRIC
    871
  • 17.JOHNSON & JOHNSON
    861
  • 18.INTEL
    843
  • 19.PANASONIC
    781
  • 20.HITACHI
    774
  • 21.SIEMENS ENERGY
    748
  • 22.ZTE
    719
  • 23.BAIDU
    691
  • 24.SIGNIFY
    641
  • 25.MEDTRONIC
    640
  • 26.HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE
    633
  • 27.HONEYWELL
    601
  • 28.XIAOMI
    598
  • 29.3M
    591
  • 30.AIRBUS
    585
  • 31.CANON
    565
  • 32.FRAUNHOFER4
    564
  • 33.MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC
    540
  • 33.SAFRAN
    540
  • 35.CEA5
    528
  • 36.UNILEVER
    524
  • 37.ABB
    522
  • 38.BOEING
    520
  • 39.FUJIFILM
    512
  • 40.DOW CHEMICAL
    503
  • 41.VALEO
    500
  • 42.JAPAN TOBACCO INTERNATIONAL
    495
  • 43.APPLE
    491
  • 44.VOLVO GROUP
    466
  • 45.HP
    463
  • 46.NTT DOCOMO
    461
  • 47.INTERDIGITAL
    460
  • 48.VOLKSWAGEN
    459
  • 49.TENCENT
    439
  • 50.BAYER
    437
  • 50.CONTINENTAL
    437
  • Direct
  • PCT regional2
Source: EPO.
Status: 1.2.2022.
1 This is the ranking of the main consolidated applicants at the EPO in 2021 (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 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
5 Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives.

Shares in applications originating from Europe 1

A breakdown of applications originating from European countries shows that 74% of them were filed by large companies, 21% by SMEs and individual inventors, and 5% by universities and public research organisations. This shows that a significant proportion of applicants at the EPO are smaller entities.

Shares in applications
2021
Large enterprises 75%
SMEs2, individual inventors 20%
Universities and public research organisations3 5%
Source: EPO.
1 This breakdown is based on a large representative sample of patent applications filed with the EPO in 2021 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.

Quick Navigation