48 France's technological production as measured by patent applications to the European Patent Office

In 2012, France was ranked 4th in the world in the European patent system with 6.4% of applications recorded. Its main specialisations are in the sub-fields of 'Transport' and 'Micro-structures and nano-technology'. In all fields combined, France's world share has been stable since 2007. During this time, however, the share of France's European patents involving international collaboration has increased by 10%.

A patent for an invention is a title that gives its holder an exclusive right to exploit the invention for a certain time and in a limited territory. The rights associated with filing a patent are related to the countries covered by the office where the holder made the application. Because it is so easy to file an application, applicants find the European patent system particularly attractive. In 2012, France's world share of European patent applications was 6.4%. This share was 8.3% in 1994. It declined on a regular basis until 2007, then stabilised. The reason for this decline is partly the dynamism of new countries in technological production, which has resulted in a considerable increase in the total number of patents in the European system.

In the European patent system in 2012, France specialised in the fields of 'Mechanical engineering' (specialisation index 1.22) and 'Other fields' (index 1.14), a category which includes 'Other consumer goods' and 'Civil engineering'. It is under-specialised in 'Electronics-electricity' and 'Instruments' (chart 48.01). Between 2007 and 2012, France's specialisation profile became more homogeneous: specialisation in 'Other fields' was reduced (-11%) and despecialisation in 'Instruments' was reduced slightly.

In 2012, in the 35 technological sub-fields, France filed between 8% and 12% of European patent applications worldwide in 'Transport', 'Micro-structural and nano-technology', 'Organic fine chemistry', 'Other special machines' (excluding textile and paper machines), 'Environmental technology' and "Civil engineering" (table 48.02). Between 2007 and 2012, among its top ten specialist sub-fields in the European patent system, France's contribution increased notably in 'Basic communication processes' and 'Micro-structural and nano-technology' and 'Measurement'.

The share of patent applications involving a foreign applicant is measured by the share of European patent applications by France for which the applicants are located outside France. In 2012, in all fields combined, 23.9 % of patent applications involved a foreign applicant (chart 48.03). This share was much greater in the Chemistry field (32.5%) and was less in Other fields (16.8%); between 2007 and 2012, it increased by 15% in this last field. At the same time, this share fell by 31% in Electrical engineering and by 12% in Instruments.

In 2012, the largest shares of European patent applications from all countries worldwide came from the United States, Germany and Japan (chart 48.04). Next came France and the United Kingdom. Between 2007 and 2012, China almost tripled its world share. The share of applications by Denmark, Spain and Sweden, countries which are more modest technological producers in the European patent system, increased by more than 20%. Japan's share decreased by 14%, and that of the Netherlands, Italy and Finland by 5% to 7%.

In 2012, the share of European patent applications by France which included international co-invention was 19.3% (chart 48.05). This share was similar for the Netherlands and for China and considerably higher for the United Kingdom and Switzerland (25.5% and 38% respectively). For two Asian countries, Japan and South Korea, their share of European patent applications involving international collaboration was small. Between 2007 and 2012, the share of international co-invention patent applications increased for the top ten producing countries (+10% for France), with the exception of China (-27%) and South Korea (-5%).

Françoise Laville, Chris Roth & Marie-Laure Taillibert