Patent Index 2022

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
    4 505
  • 2.LG
    3 510
  • 3.QUALCOMM
    2 966
  • 4.SAMSUNG
    2 874
  • 5.ERICSSON
    1 827
  • 6.SIEMENS
    1 735
  • 7.RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES
    1 539
  • 8.BASF
    1 401
  • 9.ROYAL PHILIPS
    1 338
  • 10.SONY
    1 329
  • 11.ROBERT BOSCH
    1 214
  • 12.ALPHABET
    1 135
  • 13.JOHNSON & JOHNSON
    1 120
  • 14.INTEL
    1 095
  • 15.MICROSOFT
    1 066
  • 16.NOKIA
    1 033
  • 17.OPPO MOBILE4
    917
  • 18.ZTE
    899
  • 19.PANASONIC
    865
  • 20.HITACHI
    793
  • 21.APPLE
    763
  • 22.SIGNIFY
    743
  • 23.GENERAL ELECTRIC
    732
  • 24.CANON
    676
  • 25.TENCENT
    671
  • EPO states3
  • US
  • JP
  • CN
  • KR
Source: EPO.
Status: 30.1.2023.
1 This is the ranking of the main consolidated applicants at the EPO in 2022 (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 39 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
    4 505
  • 2.LG
    3 510
  • 3.QUALCOMM
    2 966
  • 4.SAMSUNG
    2 874
  • 5.ERICSSON
    1 827
  • 6.SIEMENS
    1 735
  • 7.RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES
    1 539
  • 8.BASF
    1 401
  • 9.ROYAL PHILIPS
    1 338
  • 10.SONY
    1 329
  • 11.ROBERT BOSCH
    1 214
  • 12.ALPHABET
    1 135
  • 13.JOHNSON & JOHNSON
    1 120
  • 14.INTEL
    1 095
  • 15.MICROSOFT
    1 066
  • 16.NOKIA
    1 033
  • 17.OPPO MOBILE3
    917
  • 18.ZTE
    899
  • 19.PANASONIC
    865
  • 20.HITACHI
    793
  • 21.APPLE
    763
  • 22.SIGNIFY
    743
  • 23.GENERAL ELECTRIC
    732
  • 24.CANON
    676
  • 25.TENCENT
    671
  • 26.AIRBUS
    661
  • 27.HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE
    650
  • 28.SIEMENS ENERGY
    601
  • 29.BOE TECHNOLOGY
    598
  • 30.VOLVO GROUP
    591
  • 31.VALEO
    588
  • 32.MEDTRONIC
    583
  • 33.FUJIFILM
    571
  • 33.SAFRAN
    569
  • 35.VIVO MOBILE
    563
  • 36.BAIDU
    562
  • 37.CEA4
    544
  • 38.MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC
    524
  • 39.3M
    523
  • 40.JAPAN TOBACCO INTERNATIONAL
    515
  • 41.INTERDIGITAL
    491
  • 42.UNILEVER
    486
  • 43.NTT DOCOMO
    482
  • 44.PHILIP MORRIS
    476
  • 45.XIAOMI
    459
  • 46.DOW
    456
  • 47.FRAUNHOFER5
    453
  • 48.CATL6
    448
  • 49.TOYOTA MOTOR
    445
  • 50.DAIKIN
    431
  • Direct
  • PCT regional2
Source: EPO.
Status: 30.1.2023.
1 This is the ranking of main consolidated applicants at the EPO in 2022 (first-named applicant principle). It is based on European patent applications filed with the EPO, which include direct European applications (Direct) and international (PCT) applications that entered the European phase (PCT regional) 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 Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd.

Shares in applications originating from Europe 1

A breakdown of applications originating from European countries shows that 73% of them were filed by large companies, 20% by SMEs and individual inventors, and 7% by universities and public research organisations. This shows that a significant proportion of applicants at the EPO are smaller entities.

Shares in applications
2022
Large enterprises 73%
SMEs2, individual inventors 20%
Universities and public research organisations3 7%
Source: EPO.
1 This breakdown is based on a large representative sample of patent applications filed with the EPO in 2022 by applicants located in the 39 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) fewer than 250 staff and iii) a turnover below EUR 50 million and/or a balance sheet below EUR 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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