Switzerland tops global table for patents per capita
Switzerland filed the most patent applications per inhabitant with the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2023.
In absolute figures, Switzerland ranks third in Europe and seventh in the world, according to the Patent Index 2023, published on Tuesday by the EPO. Cantons Zurich, Vaud and Basel City stand out in particular.
The Munich-based EPO registered 199,275 patent applications last year, the highest number ever. Applications are up for the third year running, with an increase of 2.9%. The United States is far out in front, ahead of Germany, Japan, China, South Korea and France.
Of the total, 9,410 applications came from Swiss companies or individuals. This puts Switzerland in first place in terms of applications per capita, with 1,085 applications per million inhabitants. This is more than double the figure for Sweden, ranked second with 495 applications per million inhabitants. This figure is considered to be “an essential indicator of a country’s innovative strength”, according to the EPO press release.
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Questioned by the Swiss News Agency Keystone-ATS, the EPO points out that Swiss applications come from a large number of companies in a wide range of sectors. This is a sign that Switzerland has a “broadly diversified technology portfolio”, supported by “an advantageous mix” of large, world-leading companies, innovative small and medium-sized companies and research-intensive universities.
According to the EPO, examination procedures take between three and four years. The institution employs some 4,000 examiners, specialised in different fields of technology, who study each application submitted. Roughly half of the applications filed are subsequently granted a European patent. In 2023, the EPO granted 4,161 patents to Swiss companies, 40% more than the previous year.
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Women inventors in the spotlight
For the first time, the EPO report highlights the contribution of women to innovation. In Switzerland, 29% of patent applications mentioned at least one female inventor. The countries with the highest proportion of applications including at least one woman are Spain (46%), France (33%) and Belgium (32%).
Medical technology is the leading field of innovation in Switzerland, with 1,010 applications filed. This is followed by consumer goods (965) and measurement technology (771). Pharmaceutical companies are therefore well represented in the rankings. Hoffmann-La Roche is in first place among the companies that have filed the most applications, with Japan Tobacco International in second place and Philip Morris in third.
Six of Switzerland’s 26 cantons make it into the top 25 most prolific regions in EPO member countries: Zurich, Vaud, Basel City, Zug, Geneva and Neuchâtel. According to Rainer Osterwalder, director of media relations at the EPO, these regions stand out thanks to the presence of universities, which are “innovation powerhouses” or thanks to “innovation ecosystems” that revolve around large companies and maintain close links with academic circles.
Translated from French by DeepL/ts
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