Companies around the world invest billions in R&D to provide cutting-edge innovation to their products and services. In order to protect these investments, companies apply for patents. Therefore, the number of utility patents a company is granted can be considered a rough measure of its level of innovation.
The Infographic below shows us which companies generated the most patents in 2021.
❗❗ FUN FACTS ❗❗
✅ For 29 consecutive years, IBM has led U.S. companies in the number of patents received annually.
✅ IBM’s innovations are focused on solving major global challenges, and cover areas such as sustainable growth, climate change, and preventing future pandemics, as well as initiatives enabling food and energy security.
✅ Samsung Electronics is one of the biggest innovators over the last decade in several areas, including virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), 5G technologies, and autonomous driving.
✅ 16 of the 25 companies with the most patents granted in 2021 belong to the technology sector.
Source: Raul Amoros, Visual Capitalist