Dutch scale-ups know how to make good use of the possibilities of Intellectual Property (IP) compared to all Dutch companies, they make more use of this. In addition, it appears that the top 250 scale-ups in the Netherlands registers IP more often than the rest of the scale-ups. This top 250 also often combines different forms of IP.

Intellectual Property
Innovation is one of the most important sources for economic growth and prosperity. Intellectual property rights (IP rights) are a tool for companies to recoup their investments in innovation or to protect various aspects of an invention or innovation. For example, a patent protects the technological effect of an invention.

Scale-up Dashboard
The ScaleUp Dashboard is an annual research that answers various questions surrounding the phenomenon of scale-ups. How many scale-ups does the Netherlands have and what is the impact of these fast-growing organizations in terms of job creation and the Dutch economy? In collaboration with Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, we answer these questions and map the landscape of Dutch scale-ups.

To gain more insight into the brands, models and / or patent applications of these fast-growing companies, OCNL and Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship have entered into a partnership. The research provides insight into the IP applications (over the past 10 years) from the top 250 scale-ups companies and the rest of the scale-ups.

Top 250 scale-ups
The research shows that scale-ups make more use of IP in comparison with all Dutch companies. It also appears that the top 250 registers IE much more often than the rest of the scale-ups. For example, 65% of the companies in the top 250 have a trademark right, compared to 25% of the rest of the scale-ups.

Patents
Patent-containing companies (from both the top 250 and the dashboard) often employ above average 100-199 or 200-499 employees. For companies in the dashboard, this also applies to the 50-99 FTE category. There are relatively few companies with 10-19 FTEs that have a patent or brand.

Read the full report (in Dutch) about scale-ups and their use of brands, models and patents here.

To download the Scale-up Dashboard 2019 and find out more information about this research, go to www.scaleupdashboard.com.