All technologies (total patents) | | 27 552 | 79 758 | 127 433 | 151 095 | 151 468 | 166 039 | 183 967 |
Environment-related technologies | | 2 342 | 5 571 | 9 991 | 13 106 | 21 010 | 20 671 | 21 153 |
Environment-related technologies | Environmental management | | 944 | 2 962 | 4 532 | 5 643 | 5 944 | 5 659 | 4 985 |
Environmental management | Air pollution abatement | | 420 | 1 572 | 2 707 | 3 510 | 3 570 | 3 318 | 2 219 |
Air pollution abatement | Emissions abatement from stationary sources (e.g. SOx, NOx, PM emissions from combustion plants) | | 114 | 571 | 655 | 900 | 1 189 | 862 | 745 |
Emissions abatement from mobile sources (e.g. NOx, CO, HC, PM emissions from motor vehicles) | | 219 | 852 | 1 952 | 2 418 | 2 105 | 2 011 | 1 124 |
Air pollution abatement - Not elsewhere classified | | 116 | 392 | 839 | 1 410 | 1 519 | 1 427 | 1 096 |
Water pollution abatement | | 378 | 848 | 1 122 | 1 399 | 1 547 | 1 443 | 1 410 |
Water pollution abatement | Water and wastewater treatment | | 358 | 830 | 1 107 | 1 387 | 1 534 | 1 423 | 1 398 |
Fertilizers from wastewater | | 8 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 13 |
Oil spill and pollutant clean-up | | 40 | 40 | 32 | 24 | 35 | 49 | 28 |
Waste management | | 188 | 739 | 916 | 965 | 1 131 | 1 101 | 1 552 |
Waste management | Solid waste collection | | 12 | 93 | 120 | 162 | 143 | 118 | 134 |
Material recovery, recycling and re-use | | 102 | 303 | 451 | 440 | 560 | 641 | 941 |
Fertilizers from waste | | 30 | 74 | 112 | 116 | 122 | 144 | 166 |
Incineration and energy recovery | | 31 | 159 | 162 | 164 | 176 | 135 | 153 |
Waste management – Not elsewhere classified | | 24 | 206 | 214 | 262 | 292 | 248 | 399 |
Soil remediation | | .. | 83 | 96 | 72 | 53 | 53 | 40 |
Environmental monitoring | | 1 | 2 | 11 | 18 | 21 | 45 | 36 |
Climate change mitigation | | 1 711 | 3 466 | 7 101 | 9 557 | 17 676 | 17 330 | 18 089 |
Climate change mitigation | Climate change mitigation technologies related to energy generation, transmission or distribution | | 699 | 1 168 | 2 577 | 3 684 | 8 968 | 7 113 | 8 084 |
Climate change mitigation technologies related to energy generation, transmission or distribution | Renewable energy generation | | 291 | 163 | 589 | 1 027 | 4 253 | 2 459 | 2 035 |
Renewable energy generation | Wind energy | | 31 | 16 | 129 | 271 | 1 329 | 736 | 850 |
Solar thermal energy | | 153 | 29 | 82 | 130 | 735 | 296 | 156 |
Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy | | 68 | 106 | 363 | 601 | 2 321 | 1 431 | 1 012 |
Solar thermal-PV hybrids | | .. | .. | 6 | 7 | 46 | 59 | 7 |
Geothermal energy | | 14 | 3 | 11 | 16 | 57 | 30 | 20 |
Marine energy, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient | | 20 | 9 | 31 | 58 | 221 | 125 | 59 |
Hydro energy | | 13 | 11 | 39 | 57 | 181 | 111 | 66 |
Energy generation from fuels of non-fossil origin | | 46 | 44 | 129 | 228 | 775 | 525 | 294 |
Energy generation from fuels of non-fossil origin | Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel | | 19 | 14 | 84 | 160 | 648 | 388 | 201 |
Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel | | 31 | 31 | 71 | 112 | 289 | 222 | 137 |
Nuclear energy | | 118 | 274 | 110 | 106 | 233 | 255 | 212 |
Nuclear energy | Nuclear fusion reactors | | 9 | 58 | 15 | 15 | 39 | 52 | 57 |
Nuclear fission reactors | | 107 | 213 | 96 | 91 | 187 | 194 | 139 |
Combustion technologies with mitigation potential (e.g. using fossil fuels, biomass, waste, etc.) | | 34 | 102 | 150 | 187 | 413 | 273 | 163 |
Combustion technologies with mitigation potential (e.g. using fossil fuels, biomass, waste, etc.) | Technologies for improved output efficiency (combined heat and power, combined cycles, etc.) | | 8 | 51 | 101 | 120 | 252 | 183 | 93 |
Technologies for improved input efficiency (efficient combustion or heat usage) | | 26 | 59 | 55 | 78 | 194 | 101 | 72 |
Technologies for an efficient electrical power generation, transmission or distribution | | 14 | 112 | 65 | 87 | 174 | 191 | 162 |
Technologies for an efficient electrical power generation, transmission or distribution | Superconducting electric elements or equipment | | 10 | 100 | 39 | 51 | 46 | 44 | 34 |
Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector | | .. | .. | 3 | 5 | 55 | 59 | 52 |
Not elsewhere classified | | 4 | 12 | 26 | 32 | 78 | 96 | 80 |
Enabling technologies (technologies with potential or indirect contribution to GHG emission mitigation) | | 214 | 483 | 1 571 | 2 149 | 3 542 | 3 733 | 5 460 |
Enabling technologies (technologies with potential or indirect contribution to GHG emission mitigation) | Energy storage | | 152 | 315 | 1 009 | 990 | 2 361 | 2 627 | 4 353 |
Energy storage | Batteries | | 115 | 259 | 898 | 811 | 2 048 | 2 320 | 4 112 |
Capacitors | | .. | 28 | 99 | 144 | 223 | 189 | 67 |
Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids | | 9 | 5 | 16 | 20 | 107 | 76 | 68 |
Thermal energy storage | | 28 | 27 | 36 | 68 | 153 | 200 | 140 |
Hydrogen technology | | 36 | 37 | 115 | 224 | 325 | 358 | 507 |
High-voltage direct current transmission | | 1 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 34 | 76 | 31 |
Fuel cells | | 29 | 126 | 567 | 1 069 | 919 | 710 | 630 |
Other energy conversion or management systems reducing GHG emissions | | 14 | 5 | 8 | 39 | 188 | 152 | 115 |
Climate change mitigation technologies related to wastewater treatment or waste management | | 186 | 455 | 606 | 614 | 762 | 742 | 1 030 |
Climate change mitigation technologies related to wastewater treatment or waste management | Wastewater treatment | | 84 | 146 | 179 | 202 | 272 | 197 | 178 |
Solid waste management | | 103 | 309 | 420 | 393 | 459 | 527 | 745 |
Solid waste management | Waste collection, transportation, transfer or storage | | .. | 2 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Waste processing or separation | | .. | .. | .. | 3 | 6 | 11 | 25 |
Landfill technologies aiming to mitigate methane emissions | | .. | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse | | 18 | 43 | 62 | 61 | 53 | 62 | 64 |
Reuse, recycling or recovery technologies | | 71 | 250 | 331 | 310 | 373 | 450 | 649 |
Reuse, recycling or recovery technologies | Mechanical processing of waste for the recovery of materials, e.g. crushing, shredding, separation or disassembly | | 3 | 31 | 54 | 24 | 32 | 26 | 60 |
Waste management of vehicles | | .. | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | .. | 1 |
Construction or demolition [C&D] waste | | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 4 |
Glass recycling | | .. | 4 | 6 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
Plastics and rubber recycling | | 18 | 56 | 157 | 122 | 118 | 135 | 304 |
Paper recycling | | 15 | 38 | 22 | 16 | 29 | 34 | 22 |
Disintegrating fibre-containing textile articles to obtain fibres for re-use | | 1 | 1 | 1 | .. | 2 | 2 | 6 |
Recovery of fats, fatty oils, fatty acids or other fatty substances, e.g. lanolin or waxes | | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 8 |
Recycling of wood or furniture waste | | .. | .. | 3 | 2 | .. | 2 | 8 |
Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging | | 6 | 23 | 25 | 21 | 31 | 27 | 87 |
Recycling of waste of electrical or electronic equipment (WEEE) | | .. | 11 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 15 |
Recycling of batteries or fuel cells | | 3 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 58 |
Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete | | 27 | 94 | 87 | 109 | 165 | 206 | 160 |
Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation | | 1 | 9 | 23 | 31 | 47 | 34 | 148 |
Climate change mitigation in information and communication technologies (ICT) | | 10 | 68 | 366 | 735 | 1 228 | 1 768 | 1 806 |
Climate change mitigation in information and communication technologies (ICT) | Energy efficient computing | | 5 | 17 | 75 | 188 | 364 | 597 | 463 |
Energy efficiency in communication networks | | 5 | 55 | 304 | 581 | 933 | 1 277 | 1 378 |
Capture, storage, sequestration or disposal of greenhouse gases | | 23 | 49 | 140 | 121 | 363 | 281 | 266 |
Capture, storage, sequestration or disposal of greenhouse gases | Capture or disposal of nitrous oxide (N2O) | | .. | 7 | 23 | 21 | 35 | 37 | 28 |
Capture or disposal of methane (CH4) | | 5 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 28 | 33 | 36 |
Capture or disposal of perfluorocarbons (PFC), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) or sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) | | .. | 5 | 34 | 18 | 5 | 11 | 17 |
Capture or disposal of carbon dioxide (CO2) | | 21 | 35 | 80 | 78 | 313 | 216 | 202 |
Climate change mitigation technologies related to transportation | | 184 | 613 | 1 604 | 2 452 | 4 042 | 4 385 | 3 778 |
Climate change mitigation technologies related to transportation | Road transport | | 152 | 506 | 1 258 | 1 768 | 3 044 | 3 067 | 2 576 |
Road transport | Conventional vehicles (based on internal combustion engine) | | 112 | 411 | 889 | 1 264 | 1 405 | 1 298 | 611 |
Hybrid vehicles | | 7 | 24 | 178 | 222 | 428 | 345 | 264 |
Electric vehicles | | 27 | 57 | 258 | 357 | 1 372 | 1 362 | 1 623 |
Fuel efficiency-improving vehicle design (common to all road vehicles) | | 8 | 30 | 78 | 101 | 236 | 243 | 269 |
Rail transport | | 2 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 61 | 45 | 47 |
Maritime or waterways transport | | 8 | 9 | 21 | 40 | 80 | 75 | 59 |
Aeronautics or air transport | | 23 | 81 | 277 | 534 | 822 | 1 171 | 1 011 |
Enabling technologies in transport | | 5 | 7 | 98 | 188 | 606 | 645 | 951 |
Enabling technologies in transport | Electric vehicle charging | | 5 | 5 | 40 | 54 | 508 | 556 | 821 |
Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells | | .. | 2 | 73 | 143 | 122 | 114 | 141 |
Climate change mitigation technologies related to buildings | | 215 | 280 | 678 | 1 073 | 2 370 | 2 151 | 1 706 |
Climate change mitigation technologies related to buildings | Integration of renewable energy sources in buildings | | 85 | 25 | 94 | 118 | 628 | 345 | 249 |
Energy efficiency in buildings | | 142 | 229 | 515 | 857 | 1 681 | 1 679 | 1 323 |
Energy efficiency in buildings | Energy efficient lighting | | 16 | 47 | 125 | 273 | 480 | 519 | 279 |
Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC] | | 101 | 97 | 176 | 323 | 570 | 536 | 515 |
Energy efficiency in home appliances | | 6 | 23 | 69 | 95 | 193 | 177 | 141 |
Energy efficient elevators, escalators and moving walkways, e.g. energy saving or recuperation technologies | | 1 | .. | 2 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 10 |
End-user side | | 18 | 63 | 157 | 170 | 450 | 495 | 399 |
Architectural or constructional elements improving the thermal performance of buildings | | 3 | 13 | 29 | 19 | 43 | 61 | 46 |
Enabling technologies in buildings | | 9 | 28 | 58 | 104 | 203 | 206 | 155 |
Climate change mitigation technologies in the production or processing of goods | | 625 | 1 172 | 2 265 | 2 466 | 4 266 | 4 193 | 4 543 |
Climate change mitigation technologies in the production or processing of goods | Technologies related to metal processing | | 123 | 165 | 255 | 258 | 364 | 740 | 1 002 |
Technologies related to metal processing | Reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions | | 12 | 23 | 46 | 29 | 35 | 20 | 21 |
Process efficiency | | 114 | 144 | 221 | 236 | 349 | 726 | 988 |
Technologies relating to chemical industry | | 354 | 587 | 930 | 800 | 1 149 | 881 | 917 |
Technologies relating to chemical industry | Process efficiency in chemical industry | | 37 | 76 | 165 | 169 | 327 | 229 | 212 |
Feedstock | | 45 | 67 | 110 | 122 | 170 | 122 | 179 |
Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, e.g. CO2 | | 12 | 16 | 30 | 35 | 112 | 79 | 71 |
Improvements relating to chlorine production | | .. | 1 | 3 | .. | 8 | 3 | .. |
Improvements relating to adipic acid or caprolactam production | | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. | .. | 4 |
Improvements relating to the production of bulk chemicals | | 11 | 4 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 45 | 21 |
Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry | | 20 | 14 | 31 | 121 | 299 | 166 | 148 |
Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry | Bio-feedstock | | 13 | 12 | 19 | 80 | 252 | 140 | 110 |
Ethylene production | | 12 | 4 | 15 | 66 | 42 | 34 | 30 |
Technologies relating to the processing of minerals | | 32 | 86 | 126 | 106 | 175 | 263 | 130 |
Technologies relating to the processing of minerals | Production of cement | | 13 | 28 | 23 | 20 | 59 | 69 | 78 |
Production or processing of lime | | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 13 |
Glass production | | 15 | 39 | 88 | 72 | 105 | 171 | 32 |
Production of ceramic materials or ceramic elements | | 2 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 12 |
Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries | | 23 | 34 | 63 | 77 | 153 | 208 | 219 |
Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries | Using renewable energies, e.g. solar water pumping | | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 14 | 8 |
Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses | | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 31 | 21 |
Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture | | 8 | 15 | 27 | 31 | 56 | 127 | 138 |
Land use policy measures | | .. | .. | .. | .. | 1 | .. | .. |
Afforestation or reforestation | | 1 | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 1 |
Livestock or poultry management | | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Fishing; Aquaculture; Aquafarming | | .. | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 12 | .. |
Food processing, e.g. use of renewable energies or variable speed drives in handling, conveying or stacking | | 10 | 9 | 29 | 34 | 47 | 32 | 52 |
Technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products | | 65 | 211 | 655 | 855 | 1 821 | 1 495 | 1 519 |
Climate change mitigation technologies for sector-wide applications | | 15 | 19 | 28 | 78 | 174 | 149 | 101 |
Enabling technologies with a potential contribution to GHG emissions mitigation | | 5 | 87 | 226 | 238 | 339 | 436 | 676 |
Climate change adaptation technologies | | 215 | 580 | 1 774 | 2 121 | 2 420 | 2 303 | 2 051 |
Climate change adaptation technologies | Adaptation at coastal zones or river basin | | .. | 8 | 13 | 27 | 26 | 12 | 20 |
Adaptation at coastal zones or river basin | Hard structures, e.g. dams, dykes or breakwaters | | .. | 4 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 8 |
Dune restoration or creation; cliff stabilisation | | .. | 1 | .. | .. | 2 | 1 | .. |
Artificial reefs or seaweed; restoration or protection of coral reefs | | .. | .. | .. | .. | 10 | 2 | 1 |
Flood prevention; flood or storm water management | | .. | 1 | 7 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 7 |
Controlling, monitoring or forecasting | | .. | .. | .. | 3 | .. | 2 | 3 |
Water resource management | | 84 | 115 | 346 | 337 | 647 | 397 | 351 |
Water resource management | Demand-side technologies (water conservation) | | 28 | 68 | 251 | 196 | 403 | 264 | 198 |
Demand-side technologies (water conservation) | Indoor water conservation | | 6 | 24 | 22 | 77 | 76 | 81 | 70 |
Irrigation water conservation | | 12 | 10 | 180 | 68 | 129 | 70 | 73 |
Water conservation in thermoelectric power production | | 10 | 36 | 49 | 51 | 200 | 116 | 60 |
Supply-side technologies (water availability) | | 56 | 47 | 96 | 147 | 262 | 146 | 159 |
Supply-side technologies (water availability) | Water desalination | | 6 | 9 | 36 | 51 | 103 | 43 | 63 |
Water filtration; Water and wastewater treatment | | 30 | 26 | 39 | 32 | 55 | 44 | 36 |
Water collection (rain, surface and ground-water) | | 19 | 10 | 24 | 51 | 86 | 35 | 40 |
Water storage and distribution | | .. | 3 | 1 | 13 | 23 | 21 | 24 |
Protecting water resources | | 1 | .. | 3 | 7 | 17 | 10 | 4 |
Adapting or protecting infrastructure or their operation | | 29 | 52 | 116 | 99 | 168 | 177 | 125 |
Adapting or protecting infrastructure or their operation | Extreme weather resilient electric power supply systems | | 10 | 3 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 16 | 8 |
Structural elements or technology for improving thermal insulation | | 3 | 14 | 44 | 24 | 51 | 55 | 54 |
Relating to heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC] technologies | | 8 | 18 | 42 | 47 | 52 | 40 | 31 |
In transportation | | .. | 7 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 26 | 11 |
Planning or developing urban green infrastructure | | 3 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 23 | 14 | 7 |
Adaptation technologies in agriculture, forestry, livestock or agro-alimentary production | | 54 | 111 | 235 | 322 | 389 | 307 | 309 |
Adaptation technologies in agriculture, forestry, livestock or agro-alimentary production | In agriculture | | 44 | 87 | 174 | 226 | 285 | 210 | 188 |
Ecological corridors or buffer zones | | .. | .. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 2 |
In food processing or handling, e.g. food conservation | | 3 | 14 | 26 | 37 | 45 | 18 | 28 |
In livestock or poultry | | .. | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | 5 | 7 |
In fisheries management | | 7 | 10 | 32 | 57 | 55 | 69 | 84 |
Adaptation technologies in human health protection, e.g. against extreme weather | | 48 | 285 | 977 | 1 086 | 1 050 | 1 224 | 1 044 |
Adaptation technologies in human health protection, e.g. against extreme weather | Air quality improvement or preservation | | 16 | 126 | 149 | 246 | 284 | 299 | 218 |
Against vector-borne diseases whose impact is exacerbated by climate change | | 32 | 159 | 829 | 832 | 764 | 910 | 815 |
Technologies having an indirect contribution to adaptation to climate change | | 5 | 20 | 116 | 309 | 230 | 228 | 229 |
Technologies having an indirect contribution to adaptation to climate change | Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation | | 4 | 17 | 111 | 305 | 223 | 217 | 222 |
Assessment of water resources | | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 |
Monitoring or fighting invasive species | | .. | 2 | .. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Not elsewhere classified | | .. | .. | 1 | .. | 2 | 1 | .. |
Sustainable ocean economy | | 86 | 99 | 210 | 316 | 692 | 494 | 495 |
Sustainable ocean economy | Ocean renewable energy generation | | 20 | 12 | 47 | 73 | 340 | 181 | 204 |
Ocean renewable energy generation | Offshore wind energy | | 1 | 3 | 15 | 17 | 121 | 57 | 130 |
Offshore solar energy | | .. | .. | .. | .. | 7 | 5 | 15 |
Tide, wave, current and other marine energy | | 20 | 9 | 32 | 59 | 229 | 129 | 79 |
Climate change mitigation and adaptation in fishing, aquaculture and aquafarming | | 7 | 12 | 32 | 61 | 56 | 71 | 84 |
Desalination of sea water | | 6 | 9 | 36 | 51 | 103 | 43 | 63 |
Climate change adaptation in coastal zones | | 10 | 11 | 28 | 30 | 38 | 28 | 28 |
Ocean pollution abatement | | 42 | 46 | 50 | 73 | 105 | 111 | 83 |
Ocean pollution abatement | Ballast water treatment | | .. | 2 | 6 | 35 | 53 | 38 | 38 |
Oil spill (and other floating debris) prevention and cleanup | | 42 | 44 | 44 | 39 | 53 | 73 | 46 |
Climate change mitigation in maritime transport | | 8 | 9 | 20 | 34 | 74 | 72 | 50 |
Climate change mitigation in maritime transport | Improved vessel design | | 2 | 8 | 14 | 9 | 36 | 25 | 19 |
Fuel-efficient propulsion or fuel substitution | | 6 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 38 | 47 | 32 |