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Patenting 2011

A total of 1,774 patent applications were filed in Finland in 2011, which was 59 applications fewer than in the year before. The vast majority, or 1,646, of the applications were filed by domestic applicants. Private persons filed 385 of the total number of domestic applications.

Figure 1. Patent applications filed in Finland by IPC section, 2011

The annual number of patent applications filed by Finnish enterprises and associations decreased further in 2011 when they numbered 1,261. This was nearly one hundred applications fewer than in 2010. Patent applications were most numerous in the metal and engineering industry: 455 applications by 114 enterprises.

Thirty-seven per cent of the domestic patent applications made in 2011 were filed by inventors resident in the region of Uusimaa. Based on the information on inventors in the applications, the next regions were Pirkanmaa and Varsinais-Suomi with their respective shares of ten and seven per cent.

A total of 846 patents were granted in Finland in 2011 while the respective number in 2010 was 923. The number of patents received by domestic patent holders remained on level with the previous year in 2011. By contrast, the number of patents granted to foreign patent holders fell by almost 40 per cent and was 127.

The majority, or 647, of the patents granted in Finland were granted to domestic enterprises and associations. The number of patents granted to enterprises and associations was on level with 2010. As in previous years, the highest number of patents was granted to the metal and engineering industry.

The patents granted in Finland most commonly concerned the main IPC sections of performing operations and transporting, and electricity.

Figure 2. Patents granted in Finland by IPC section, 2011

In 2011, European patents that came into effect in Finland numbered 4,762. One year earlier, the number was slightly lower at 4,644. The main IPC sections for the European patents were again chemistry and metallurgy with 1,289 patents and human necessities with 968 patents. As in previous years, the main holder countries of the validated patents were the United States and Germany.

Figure 3. Patents granted and validated in Finland, 2002–2011

Figure 4. Selected countries shares of European patents validated in Finland, 2010 and 2011

European patents granted by the European Patents Office (EPO) to Finnish enterprises or associations totalled 573 in 2011. Their number fell by 13 per cent from the previous year. In the electronics and metal and engineering industries where the highest numbers of patent application are made the number of new patents fell by 15 per cent in all. Despite the reduced number of patents granted to the electronics industry, one-half of the granted European patents were still granted to enterprises in this industry.

Altogether 131 enterprises or associations received European patents in 2011, while the respective number in 2010 was 178.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted 1,060 patents to Finnish enterprises or associations in 2011. This was 191 patents fewer than in the previous year when the number of granted patents was 1,251. This was influenced by a reduction of some two hundred in patents granted to the electronics industry. The number of enterprises having been granted patents by the United States Patent and Trademark Office remained on level with 2010 in 2011 - patents were granted to 170 enterprises or associations.

A total of 481 utility model applications were made in Finland in 2011, while one year earlier they numbered 559. Of the utility model applications made in 2011, 458 were made by domestic applicants and 40 per cent of these, or 182, by private persons. The number of utility model applications made by private persons fell by 80 from the previous year while the number of applications made by enterprises remained on level with the previous year at 276.

The utility design applications concerned most often the main IPC sections of fixed constructions and human necessities. The industry that made the highest number of utility model applications was the metal and engineering industry.

Figure 5. Utility model applications filed in Finland by IPC section, 2011

Source: Patenting 2011. 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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Updated 1.11.2012