According to a recently published survey by the Swedish Patent and Registration Office (PRV), geographical areas where universities and large companies are present promote innovation, and consequently, also the number of filed patent applications.
Some Swedish counties (e.g. Stockholm, Uppsala and Skåne) stand out in the PRV statistics of the number of national patent applications per capita. Common to these counties is that each of them has several renowned universities and colleges, as well as a vast amount of mid- and large-sized companies.
Susanne Ås Sivborg, the president of PRV, is convinced that the society’s support of innovations has a large impact on the number of filed patent applications. Based on the recent statistics, she states that the strongest fields in terms of patent application activity in Sweden are found in the mechanics, vehicle and engineering industry sectors.
The Swedish industry has, to a large amount, been based on innovations which have been patented, and the adjustable spanner, the ball bearing and the tetrahedron-shaped paper carton are well-known examples of economic success stories. Whether or not coming patent applications will thrive in the more traditional field of mechanics, or in rapidly expanding sectors such as telecommunications, Mrs. Ås Sivborg wishes not only a strong inter-county collaboration for innovation development but also an increased knowledge what an innovation is and how to protect it by a patent application.
Love Koci, European Patent Attorney
