The EPO reported a marked increase for patent applications for clean energy technologies in 2022.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Swiss companies and inventors filed 9,008 patent applications at the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2022, an increase of 5.9% compared to 2021.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SRF/sb
Español
es
Suiza registra un fuerte crecimiento de patentes en 2022
Switzerland is ranked seventh among the top ten countries with the most patent applications last year.
In terms of patent applications per capita, Switzerland remains the leading country (1,031 per million inhabitants), followed by Nordic states, according to the EPO’s Patent Index 2022 releasedExternal link on Tuesday.
Overall, the EPO received 193,460 patent applications last year, an increase of 2.5% on the previous year and a new record. This follows an increase of 4.7% in 2021 and a small dip (-0.6%) in 2020.
“The rising number of patent applications – an early indicator of companies’ investments in research and development – underlines that innovation remained robust last year despite economic uncertainties around the globe,” the EPO said in a statement.
Clean energy
There was a marked increase for patent applications for clean energy technologies and others for transferring and storing energy. Battery technologies, for example, recorded a 48% increase in applications compared to the previous year.
The leading countries for applications to the EPO in 2022 were the United States (48,088), Germany (24,684), Japan (21,576), China (19,041) and France (10,900).
The Chinese mobile phone manufacturer Huawei led the ranking of companies with the most patents (4,500). Most applications were from large firms but around 20% came from small or medium-sized companies with up to 250 employees. Some 7% were from universities and public research institutes.
Popular Stories
More
Climate solutions
Switzerland turns train tracks into solar power plants
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Swiss parliament advances individual taxation for married couples
This content was published on
The Swiss House of Representatives made progress on individual taxation for married couples, suggesting a compromise to address federal tax losses.
Valcambi withdraws from Swiss Better Gold Association
This content was published on
The Swiss refinery said it's no longer appropriate to collaborate with the organisation, which aims to improve working and living conditions in mining communities.
This content was published on
The Swiss House of Representatives voted against a motion to introduce specific regulations for AI-generated “deepfakes.”
Swiss foreign ministry alarmed by Gaza developments
This content was published on
The Swiss foreign ministry wrote on X that international humanitarian law forbids the annexation of occupied territories.
Swiss government warns some EU agreements could be rejected by parliament or electorate
This content was published on
The EU sees the agreements with Switzerland as a single package, but the Federal Council believes that one or more agreements could be rejected.
Revolutionary idea to store green power for the grid
This content was published on
What do we do when there is no sun or wind? Energy Vault seems to have found the answer to that oft-repeated question from nuclear power and oil-industry lobbyists and all those sceptical about or opposed to renewable energies. That question seemed to pinpoint the Achilles’ heel of new energy technologies: the varying yield of…
This content was published on
Switzerland is top in the world when it comes to innovation, according to an index by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.