Main fields of technology in which PCT applications were published in 2006

	Technical Field	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	Increase Compared with 2005
I	Electricity - Electronics
1	Electrical devices, electrical engineering, electrical energy	6,973	7,365	7,568	8,768	9,806	12%
2	Audio-visual technology	5,391	6,057	6,074	6,713	7,313	9%
3	Telecommunications	11,166	10,821	10,441	11,670	13,465	15%
4	Information technology	11,095	9,917	9,531	10,992	13,375	22%
II	Instruments
5	Semiconductors	3,612	4,051	4,109	4,719	6,021	28%
6	Optics	2,408	2,616	2,563	3,215	3,716	16%
7	Analysis, measurement, control technology	10,767	11,447	10,869	11,867	12,715	7%
8	Medical technology	7,360	8,600	8,877	9,554	10,971	15%
9	Nuclear engineering	448	517	496	499	560	12%
III	Chemicals - Materials
10	Organic fine chemistry	4,537	5,225	5,652	6,112	6,194	1%
11	Macromolecular chemistry, polymers	3,894	3,984	4,002	4,532	5,384	19%
12	Chemical engineering	3,646	3,879	3,702	4,266	4,723	11%
13	Surface technology, coating	2,912	3,293	3,326	3,642	4,288	18%
14	Materials, metallurgy	2,909	3,037	3,031	3,252	3,753	15%
IV	Pharmaceuticals - Biotechnology
15	Biotechnology	9,001	8,604	7,609	7,312	6,952	-5%
16	Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics	9,654	9,976	9,436	11,090	13,376	21%
17	Agriculture and food	1,522	1,660	1,840	1,949	2,284	17%
V	Process engineering
18	Industrial processes	4,767	5,365	4,909	4,911	5,533	13%
19	Handling, printing	3,947	4,540	4,555	5,401	6,108	13%
20	Agricultural and food processing, machinery and apparatus	1,133	1,274	1,334	1,521	1,475	-3%
21	Materials processing, textiles, paper	4,159	4,780	4,285	4,763	5,390	13%
22	Environmental technology	1,230	1,314	1,249	1,380	1,533	11%
VI	Machinery - Mechanics - Transport
23	Machine tools	2,369	2,485	2,323	2,773	2,959	7%
24	Engines, pumps, turbines	2,583	2,820	2,975	3,205	3,661	14%
25	Thermal processes and apparatus	1,390	1,580	1,542	1,825	2,027	11%
26	Mechanical Components	3,229	3,567	3,720	4,108	4,649	13%
27	Transport	3,944	4,597	4,883	5,542	6,004	8%
28	Space technology and weapons	448	494	436	536	495	-8%
VII	Consumer goods - Civil engineering
29	Consumer goods and equipment	4,952	5,757	6,040	7,228	8,151	13%
30	Civil engineering, building, mining	3,132	3,461	3,847	3,908	4,352	11%