The European Patent Office (EPO)'s branch in The Hague and its staff spend more than € 885 million per year in the Dutch economy and generate some 5,800 jobs, according to a study by Bureau Louter commissioned by the EPO.
The lion's share of the economic benefits are generated in the province of Zuid-Holland (South Holland) and especially in the municipalities of The Hague and Rijswijk, where the EPO is located.
"As the largest international organisation in the Netherlands, the EPO makes a significant positive contribution to the Dutch economy, and especially to the province of Zuid-Holland," says EPO Vice-President and Head of the Office's branch in The Hague Thomas Hammer. "The economic benefits make the organisation an important player of one of the country's most dynamic economic regions."
Greatest impact in The Hague
Most of the economic effects are felt in The Hague region, where 86% of the € 885 million is being spent and 77% of the jobs are generated. Moreover, the EPO's activities have also led to the creation of almost 900 indirect jobs outside Zuid-Holland.
In addition to the direct economic effects of operations and consumer spending by the EPO's 2,700 employees (of which 76% are expatriates), the region benefits from the indirect effects of spending on goods and services, and the knock-on effects of purchases by businesses that benefit from EPO spending. Almost half of the direct consumer spending is in The Hague, where most of the expatriate EPO staff live.
Creation of 5,800 jobs
In terms of employment, the study finds that the EPO's operations have led to the creation of some 5,800 jobs for the Netherlands. This includes both staff employed by the EPO and by businesses benefiting from the effects of EPO staff consumption. The staff contingent at the EPO's office in The Hague has risen steadily over the years, with an increase of over 1,000 jobs in the past 13 years alone (from 1,650 in 1996 to some 2,700 today). As a result, 8.5% of all jobs in Rijswijk are now directly or indirectly related to the EPO.
With the continued high demand for the EPO's services, the economic impact of the Office is expected to grow even further in the coming years.
About the EPO
The EPO's office in the Netherlands was opened in 1978, when the traditional patent site at The Hague was integrated into the EPO. Today, the EPO is responsible for the grant of European patents in all fields in technology. The grant of a patent enhances legal certainty in the innovation process, which is key for the creation of economic value by businesses in the knowledge-based economy in Europe.
The EPO is entirely self-financed and does not receive any public funding. It has offices in Munich, where the headquarters are located, The Hague, Berlin, Vienna and Brussels.
The Office also has its own systems for social security and healthcare. With its total workforce of some 7,000 highly qualified staff coming from the 36 member states of the European Patent Organisation, the EPO is the second largest international organisation in Europe, after the European Commission.
For more information, please contact:
European Patent Office
Press Desk
Sabine Lunau
2288 EE Rijswijk
Telephone: +31 70 340 48 22
Email: press@epo.org
Website: www.epo.org/press