Patent applications to the EPO by priority year by NUTS 3 regions, international patent classification (IPC) sections and classes - pat_ep_ripc

Data - Eurostat

Author

François Geerolf

Info

Last observation: Annual: 2012 (N = 209,766)

First observation: Annual: 1977 (N = 9,383)

Last data update: 11 aoû 2026, 19:00. Last compile: 12 aoû 2026, 02:35

Structure

France, Germany, Italy, Spain

Patents in Physics (Section G), per Million Inhabitants

Code

pat_ep_ripc |>
  filter(geo %in% c("FR", "DE", "IT", "ES"),
         # G: Section G - physics
         ipc == "G",
         unit == "P_MHAB") |>
  year_to_date() |>
  left_join(colors, by = c("Geo" = "country")) |>
  ggplot() + geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = color)) +
  theme_minimal() + scale_color_identity() + add_flags +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(1975, 2100, 5), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y")) +
  xlab("") + ylab("EPO patent applications in physics, per million inhabitants")

France: Patents by Technology Section

Code

pat_ep_ripc |>
  filter(geo == "FR",
         ipc %in% c("C", "G", "H"),
         unit == "NR") |>
  year_to_date() |>
  ggplot() + geom_line(aes(x = date, y = values, color = Ipc)) +
  theme_minimal() +
  theme(legend.position = c(0.3, 0.8),
        legend.title = element_blank()) +
  scale_x_date(breaks = as.Date(paste0(seq(1975, 2100, 5), "-01-01")),
               labels = date_format("%Y")) +
  xlab("") + ylab("Number of EPO patent applications")

Latest Year by IPC Section

Code

latest_y <- pat_ep_ripc |>
  filter(geo == "DE", nchar(ipc) == 1, unit == "NR", !is.na(values)) |>
  summarise(m = max(time)) |>
  pull(m)

pat_ep_ripc |>
  filter(geo %in% c("FR", "DE", "IT", "ES"),
         nchar(ipc) == 1,
         unit == "NR",
         time == latest_y) |>
  select(Geo, Ipc, values) |>
  spread(Geo, values) |>
  print_table_conditional()

Ipc	France	Germany	Italy	Spain
Section A - human necessities	1036.99	2489.54	717.32	265.92
Section B - performing operations; transporting	1409.54	4453.81	901.43	266.02
Section C - chemistry; metallurgy	710.96	1974.86	297.99	157.83
Section D - textiles; paper	51.78	253.39	205.70	21.38
Section E - fixed constructions	238.46	919.35	215.43	39.12
Section F - mechanical engineering; lighting; heating; weapons; blasting	819.38	3001.42	553.17	170.55
Section G - physics	1292.68	2579.80	315.20	158.44
Section H - electricity	1425.20	2811.05	359.74	200.55