Switzerland will also become patent world champion in 2023 – but we still have potential when it comes to the women’s quota. ZVV tickets are now also available by telephone

Switzerland remains the most innovative location in the world. In terms of the number of patent applications per inhabitant, it was again the absolute world leader in 2023. In concrete terms, 1,085 patents per million inhabitants were registered in this country last year, the European Patent Office (EPO) announced on Tuesday evening.

That is 5.2 percent more than the year before and more than twice as much as Sweden in second place (495 patents per million inhabitants). Denmark follows in third place on the podium (445 patents), followed by Finland (422 patents), the Netherlands (402 patents) and Germany (300 patents) in places 4 to 6.

In the US - despite Silicon Valley - only 142 patents per million inhabitants were registered (15th place). In absolute numbers, however, the United States remains the world leader with 48,155 patents. From a purely quantitative perspective, Germany was able to defend its top position in Europe – with a clear lead over France.

Switzerland is not the best when it comes to women's quotas

With a total of 9,410 patent applications, inventors and companies from Switzerland again exceeded their record result from 2022 in 2023. Compared to the European average growth, the EPO recorded an above-average increase for Switzerland last year. The number of patent applications is considered an important indicator of a country's innovative strength.

The EPO registered 199,275 patent applications worldwide, more than any previous year. About 43 percent of all applications came from the 39 EPA member states, 57 percent came from outside Europe.

The new patent index also points out for the first time the innovation contribution of women. By 2023, 29 percent of all Swiss patent applications to the EPO named at least one female inventor. This is above the average of the 39 Member States (27 percent), but well below the values ​​of Spain (46 percent), France (33 percent) and Belgium (32 percent), the three leading European countries (with more than 2,000 patent applications per year). years).

Specialists in medical technology

The leading technology field for patent applications from Switzerland was again medical technology with 1010 applications. In Europe as a whole, Switzerland ranks second in this sector (after Germany) and third worldwide. In second place in the national ranking are consumer goods (+11.9 percent compared to the previous year 2022), followed by measurement technology (+3 0.8 percent).

The Patent Index 2023 also records a strong increase in patent applications from Switzerland in the transport sector, which also includes the automotive industry (+27.2 percent compared to 2022), in chemicals (+17.2 percent) and in the field of electrical machines, appliances, energy (+14.4 percent).

In the ranking of the most active Swiss companies filed with the EPO, Hoffmann-La Roche was again at the top in 2023 with 754 patent applications. In addition, the Basel pharmaceutical company is a leader in biotechnology at the EPO and ranks third for pharmaceutical products, right behind US candidates Merck and the University of California.

In second place from Switzerland is Japan Tobacco International (706), followed by Philip Morris (527), ABB (488) and Nestlé (443). These first four companies are also among the top 50 companies worldwide in the Patent Index 2023, although ABB was not present in this group last year. All top 5 companies registered an increase in their European patent applications compared to the previous year. In the field of measurement technology, the Swatch Group ranks fourth internationally, behind Qualcomm, Siemens and the LG Group.

Patent kings come from Asia

The technology areas with the most active registrations at the EPO in 2023 were digital communications, medical technology and computer technology. The five most active countries of origin were the US, which again accounted for almost 25 percent of the total registration volume, followed by Germany, Japan, China and the Republic of Korea. In a European country comparison, Switzerland came in third place, behind Germany and France.

Chinese telecom company Huawei is at the top of the companies with the most patent applications at the EPO. Behind them are Samsung and LG, two direct competitors from South Korea. The American chip manufacturer Qualcomm is in fourth place.

But patents are also of strategic importance for smaller companies. In 2023, 23 percent of all patent applications from Europe were filed by private individuals or small or medium-sized companies with fewer than 250 employees. Another 8 percent came from universities and public research institutions.