Last year, the European Patent Office (EPO) received a total of 193,460 patent applications, according to a statement from the EPO. Of these, 9,008 came from Switzerland. Switzerland therefore continues to rank first worldwide in terms of patent applications per million inhabitants. In 2022, Switzerland filed 1,031 patents per million inhabitants with the EPO. In absolute terms, Switzerland ranks seventh worldwide with 9,008 patents, behind the USA, Germany, Japan, China, France and South Korea. Switzerland submitted 5.9 per cent more patent applications to the EPO compared with 2021.
The rising number of patent applications in 2022 demonstrates that “innovation remained robust last year despite economic uncertainties around the globe”, writes the EPO. The patent office observed significant growth in the fields of digital communications, medical technology, computer technology, electrical machines and energy, as well as pharmaceuticals, metrology and biotechnology.
"When it comes to the promise of green innovation, there has been solid, sustained growth in filings related to clean technologies and other means that create, transfer and store electricity," commented EPO President António Campinos in the statement. "It's this ongoing boom that is navigating the energy transition.” The sharp increase in patent applications for digital technologies and semiconductors shows that the fourth industrial revolution is making its way into other areas across technology and industry, according to Campinos.
