Signify #1 Lighting company in European patent filings in 2020
Climbs to rank 21 from 26 a year earlier out of all companies that filed patents with the EPO. Ranks second among Dutch companies, filing for 691 patents.
Eindhoven, the Netherlands – Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, in 2020 was again the number one Lighting company in patent filings at the European Patent Office (EPO), illustrating the company’s innovation leadership and continued improvements in LED lighting technology. Signify filed a total of 691 patents, climbing to rank 21 from 26 a year earlier out of all companies that filed patents with the EPO.
“Our purpose is to unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. To fulfil this purpose our researchers continually focus on lighting research that delivers new experiences and value to our customers, and innovations that benefit the environment and society,” said Eric Rondolat, CEO of Signify. “These include improving products that are already on the market, but also products still in development that will help us remain competitive and drive profitable growth in the future.”
Signify ranks second among Dutch companies in the list. In 2020, it filed a growing number of patents for LiFi, 3D printing, UV-C disinfection lighting and lighting for agriculture. It now holds more than 19,500 patents, with a focus on LED-based lighting and control. These cover everything from LED lamps, modules and luminaires to connected technologies for controlling these light sources, making light connected, digital and sustainable.
The EPO, headquartered in Munich, enables inventors to obtain high-quality patent protection in up to 44 countries, covering a market of some 700 million people. Last year, it received a total of 180,250 applications, which despite the pandemic was almost on par with 2019.
“The EPO’s Patent Index for 2020 shows that demand for patent protection has remained high,” said EPO President António Campinos. “Overall, patenting activity has been robust, even though it fluctuated across technology sectors and economic regions.”
For detailed statistics and supporting materials produced by the European Patent Office, see the EPO's Annual Report at: www.epo.org/patent-index2020.
For further information, please contact:
Signify Corporate Communications
Elco van Groningen
Tel: +31 6 1086 5519
E-mail: elco.van.groningen@signify.com
About Signify
Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals and consumers and lighting for the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact connected lighting systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. With 2020 sales of EUR 6.5 billion, we have approximately 38,000 employees and are present in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We achieved carbon neutrality in 2020, have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for four consecutive years and were named Industry Leader in 2017, 2018 and 2019. News from Signify is located at the Newsroom, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors can be found on the Investor Relations page.
About the EPO
With 6,400 staff, the European Patent Office (EPO) is one of the largest public service institutions in Europe. Headquartered in Munich with offices in Berlin, Brussels, The Hague and Vienna, the EPO was founded with the aim of strengthening co-operation on patents in Europe. Through the EPO's centralised patent granting procedure, inventors are able to obtain high-quality patent protection in up to 44 countries, covering a market of some 700 million people. The EPO is also the world's leading authority in patent information and patent searching.
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