The Netherlands has made it to the list of top ten worldwide patents in the field of anti-cancer innovations, a new study reveals. With Philips being one of the main applicants worldwide, the Netherlands placed fifth in the EU, where over five million lives were saved thanks to innovations in oncology.
The new European Patent Office (EPO) study, “Patents and innovation against cancer,” notes a remarkable 70 percent increase in innovation and technologies targeting cancer from 2015 to 2021, reflected in the increase in the number of international patent families (IPFs). The report notes that more than 140,000 cancer-fighting inventions have been disclosed in patent documents over the past 50 years. To improve accessibility, the study integrates a free online platform that streamlines access for innovators in the field through predefined searches of patent databases. In addition, the EPO is updating the free “Deep Tech Finder” tool that maps nearly 8,000 start-ups from across Europe with patent applications and helps investors and potential partners discover valuable new cancer technologies within the deep tech sector.
Why you need to know this
According to the European Cancer Information System (ECIS), 31 percent of men and 25 percent of women in the European Union are expected to be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 75. In the Netherlands, breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men are the main types. More knowledge is needed to fight tumors.
Dutch innovation makes a substantial contribution
The study shows that the Netherlands ranks fifth among European countries and tenth worldwide, with a substantial contribution of more than eight percent to all international patent families (IPFs) of European applicants in the field of anti-cancer innovations. Philips accounts for more than half of these IPFs (55 percent) and ranks fourth overall and third among leading applicants from 2002 to 2021. The company is a player in cancer diagnosis and treatment with its portfolio of diagnostics, including imaging technologies, informatics, and image-guided therapy that can be used for cancer treatment and surgery.
Overall, the European Union ranks second behind the United States, with an 18 percent share of all IPFs from 2002 to 2021. In Europe, Germany has maintained its position as the leading home country in cancer-related innovation for more than 20 years, while the United Kingdom has quickly risen to become the second largest contributor, followed by France.
EPO President António Campinos said, “The platform we are launching today can play an important role in reducing cancer by providing scientists with technical information and insights to advance their research and support them in developing new technologies that can save lives. Here in Europe we are in second place when it comes to the development of cancer-related technologies, but we can obviously do much more, we need to do more – especially when you consider that there is expected to be an increase in cancer diagnoses in the coming years.”
The role of Dutch universities and research institutions
The way these innovations find their way to the market is changing. The study also points to a possible shift over the past two decades. Universities, hospitals, public sector research institutions, and startups are playing an increasingly important role. Notable Dutch contributions include Erasmus University Rotterdam, which leads the group with 113 IPFs, followed by the Netherlands Cancer Institute (89 IPFs) and Leiden University Medical Center (81 IPFs).
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