China becomes the fastest growing country in EPO patents; Huawei and OPPO rank in the top 25 for three consecutive years

On April 5, the European Patent Office (EPO) released the "Patent Index 2021" (hereinafter referred to as the "Index"). Data shows that China is still the country with the fastest growth in patent applications in Europe, and more and more leading Chinese companies have made it to the European patent application rankings. Huawei, OPPO, ZTE, and Baidu all have a place among the top 25 applicants. Among them, Huawei and OPPO have appeared in the top 25 for three consecutive years.

Figure: Top 10 countries for European patent applications (Source: Patent Index 2021)

As shown in the figure above, the total number of patents applied for by Chinese entities in Europe in 2021 reached 16,665, a year-on-year increase of 24% over 2020, the fastest growth in applications among the top 10 countries. The overall ranking is consistent with 2020. China is still the country with the most patent applications in Europe after the United States, Germany and Japan.

Figure: Origin of European patent applications (Source: Patent Index 2021)

In the just released Index, the EPO also specifically gives the source countries of European patent applications in 2012 and 2021, and compares the changes in the source countries of European patent applications in the 10 years since 2012. The results show that the patent shares of countries within the scope of the EPO and Japan in Europe have declined, the patent shares of the United States and South Korea in Europe have remained basically stable, and China's share has jumped from 3% in 2012 to 9% in 2021.

Figure: Top 25 applicants at the European Patent Office (Source: Patent Index 2021)

Specifically at the patent applicant level, in 2021, a total of 4 Chinese companies entered the top 25 ranking of European patent applicants, a breakthrough compared with 2019 and 2020. ZTE and Baidu entered the list for the first time. Among the top 25 companies, the United States has 8 companies, ranking first; Germany and China have 4 companies each, second only to the United States; Japan has 3 companies, South Korea and the Netherlands have 2 companies each, and Finland and Sweden have 1 company each.

Chinese companies Huawei and OPPO, which have appeared on the list for three consecutive years, have also improved significantly in 2021. After being briefly surpassed by Samsung in 2020, Huawei regained the top spot in 2021. OPPO jumped from 19th place in 2020 to 13th place in 2021, with the number of patent applications increasing by nearly 50%.

These signs indicate that leading Chinese companies, represented by Huawei and OPPO, have established a firm foothold in the world's top "patent circle of friends" and achieved a positive cycle of innovation.