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Published: 11 November 2010

Number of domestic and European patents granted to enterprises down in 2009

The number of applications made by Finnish enterprises and associations for domestic patents remained on level with the previous year in 2009. The largest number of patent applications was made in the metal and engineering industry. By contrast, the number of domestic patents granted to Finnish enterprises and associations fell slightly from the previous year in 2009. The number of European patents granted to enterprises and associations also fell short of the previous year’s level. One-half of the European patents were granted in the electronics industry. These data derive from statistics on patenting in 2009 published by Statistics Finland.

Domestic patents granted to enterprises and associations and enterprises having received patents, 2000– 2009

A total of 1,931 patent applications were filed in Finland in 2009. The vast majority of them - 1,804 applications, or 93 per cent of all applications - were domestic applications. Nearly one patent application in four concerned performing operations and transporting. Due to increased international patenting the number of foreign applications made direct in Finland has been falling. The applicant was from abroad in 127 of the patent applications filed in Finland in 2009.

Domestic patenting by Finnish enterprises and associations remained on level with 2008 in 2009. In 2009, enterprises and associations filed a total of 1,403 patent applications, as against 1,397 in 2008. Patent applications were most numerous in the metal and engineering industry where they totalled 510, filed by 129 applicant enterprises. The number of patent applications went up in e.g. wholesale and retail trade, and in research and development activity, whereas e.g. in the forest industry, and in information and communication activity their number decreased from the previous year.

Approximately 40 per cent of the domestic patent applications made in 2009 were filed by inventors resident in the region of Uusimaa. The respective share for both Pirkanmaa and Varsinais-Suomi was just short of ten per cent.

A total of 1,055 patents were granted in Finland in 2009, which is nearly 60 patents more than in 2008. The growth in the total number was partly due to increased number of patents granted to foreign assignees. By contrast, the number of patents granted to domestic assignees fell. The number of patents granted to domestic enterprises and associations was 647, which was three per cent lower than in the previous year. The highest number of patents was granted to the metal and engineering industry and the most common IPC sections in which domestic patents were granted to Finnish enterprises were performing operations and transporting.

European patents granted by the European Patents Office (EPO) to Finnish enterprises or associations totalled 642 in 2009. The number of granted patens fell by 16 per cent from the previous year. The share of the electronics industry of the European patents granted to Finnish enterprises and associations was approximately one-half. The share of the metal and engineering industry was 20 per cent.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office granted altogether 990 patents to Finnish enterprises and associations in 2009. The vast majority, or 723 of them, were granted to the electronics industry. The metal and engineering industry was granted 125 patents.

A total of 4,497 European patents were validated in Finland in 2009, whereas in 2008 the respective number was 5,210. The main sections of the European patents were chemistry and metallurgy - 1,249 patents - and human necessities - 962 patents. Germany and the United States were the main assignee countries of the European patents validated in Finland.

A total of 479 utility design applications were made in Finland in 2009. The number of applications grew by some 14 per cent from the year before. The vast majority, or 450 of the applications, were made by domestic applicants of which just under 60 per cent were enterprises and associations. In relative terms, the applications for utility designs most usually concerned performing operations and transporting, human necessities and fixed constructions. As with domestic patent applications, the majority of the utility design applications were made in the metal and engineering industry.

Source: Patenting 2009. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Mervi Niemi (09) 1734 3263, Kari-Pekka Niemi (09) 1734 3399, tiede.teknologia@stat.fi

Director in charge: Leena Storgårds

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Patent applications filed in Finland, 1985, 1990, 1995 and 2000 - 2009 (11.11.2010)
• Appendix table 2. Domestic patent applications by region, 2005 - 2009 (11.11.2010)
• Appendix table 3. Domestic patent applications of enterprises and associations by industry (TOL 2008), 2008 and 2009 (11.11.2010)
• Appendix table 4. Patents granted in Finland by IPC section, 2009 (11.11.2010)
• Appendix table 5. Domestic patents granted to enterprises and associations by industry (TOL 2008), 2008 and 2009 (11.11.2010)
• Appendix table 6. European patents validated in Finland by IPC-section and resident country of assignee, 2009 (11.11.2010)
• Appendix table 7. Patents granted to Finnish enterprises and associations by European Patent Office by industry (TOL 2008), 2008 and 2009 (11.11.2010)
• Appendix table 8. Patents granted to finnish enterprises by US Patent and Trademark Office by industry (TOL 2008), 2009 (11.11.2010)
• Appendix table 9A. Utility model applications filed in Finland by IPC section, 2008 (11.11.2010)
• Appendix table 9B. Utility model applications filed in Finland by IPC section, 2009 (11.11.2010)
• Appendix table 10. Domestic utility model applications of enterprises and associations by industry (TOL 2008), 2008 and 2009 (11.11.2010)

Figures

• Appendix figure 1. Patent applications filed in Finland by IPC section, 2009 (11.11.2010)
• Appendix figure 2. Patents granted and validated in Finland, 2002 - 2009 (11.11.2010)
• Appendix figure 3. Patents granted in Finland by IPC section, 2009 (11.11.2010)
• Appendix figure 4. European patents validated in Finland by IPC section, 2009 (11.11.2010)
• Appendix figure 5. Selected countries shares of European patents validated in Finland, 2008 and 2009 (11.11.2010)

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Updated 11.11.2010