Patents
This represents an increase of 7,833 over the previous year.
For IP professionals
This is the portal for professionals working in the field of intellectual property. Here you'll find direct access to all necessary resources.
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News
Patent statistics
As of 31 December 2020, a total of 139,552 patents were in force in Switzerland. This can be divided into 6,782 national patents and 132,770 European patents. The first figure refers to inventions that have been filed for patent protection directly with the IPI. The considerably higher figure refers to patents filed with the European Patent Office (EPO), which are also in effect in Switzerland.
Patents held by Swiss companies in European comparison
In its Patent Index 2020, the European Patent Office (EPO) examined applications originating from Switzerland. The IPI presents the findings below.
Top 10 patent-filing countries (2020)
In the list of countries who submitted the most applications in 2020, Switzerland ranks seventh with 8,112 applications. The USA takes the top spot with 44,293 applications.
Source: European Patent Office
Top 5 countries – applications per million inhabitants (2020)
In 2020, Switzerland was once again the country with the most patent applications per million inhabitants. With 966 patent applications, the number shows a slight decline in 2020 (988 in the previous year). The EU average was 146 applications per million inhabitants.
Source: European Patent Office
Top 5 Swiss applicants (2020)
In the statistics on Swiss companies with the most applications with the EPO, ABB takes first place. Hoffmann-La Roche and Nestlé also made it onto the podium.
Source: European Patent Office
Trend in patent applications (2020)
The number of patent applications originating from Switzerland filed with the EPO has risen continuously since 2015. There was a slight decrease in the number of applications in 2020 (8,112 compared to 8,249 in 2019).
Source: European Patent Office
Assisted patent searches in 2020 – inventions under the microscope
The IPI offers patent searches. Together with a patent expert, the client can take an in-depth look at questions relating to patenting an innovation. Clients receive valuable search results which support them in making decisions concerning their idea or invention. This service is aimed at SMEs, individual inventors, research institutes and companies supported by research and innovation funding.
In 2020, the IPI carried out 1117 assisted patent searches. Most requests came from the canton of Zurich (283).
1. Zurich 283
2. Bern 158
3. Vaud 126
4. Aargau 86
5. Geneva 59
Source: The IPI
Patents in annual comparison
Anyone who wants to patent an invention in Switzerland must apply to the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI). In addition, patents granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) are also active in Switzerland.
| 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
National applications | 1590 | 1 720 | 1 616 | 1 628 |
National patents granted | 747 | 615 | 615 | 771 |
National patents in force | 6782 | 7 066 | 7 235 | 7 351 |
Patents granted by EPO(1) | 132 770 | 124 635 | 115 684 | 109 407 |
Total number of patents in force | 139 552 | 131 719 | 122 800 | 116 758 |
(1) Patents in force: All patents, for which an annual fee had been paid in Switzerland as of 31.12.2020, were taken into account.
Further details
- Patent applications, patents granted and European and international patent applications (in German and French)
- National patent applications submitted according to IPC technical classification (in German)
- National patents granted according to IPC technical classification (in German)
- National patent numbers according to year of publication as of 1888 (in German, French and Italian)
News
03.09.2021 | Law and policy, Partners and initiatives
Second online workshop CIPCO/IPI ‘Legal framework of intellectual property for AI - technical and economic aspects’ on 13 September 2021
...more
18.08.2021 | Patents, Media release, Law and policy
Modernising the patent examination procedure
...more