Switzerland has long been considered the world champion of innovation and was even able to maintain its leading position during the pandemic. After attaining first place in the Global Innovation Index in October 2021, Switzerland can also demonstrate its innovative strength through its many patent applications. According to Rainer Osterwalder, Director for Media Relations at the European Patent Office, Switzerland has applied for more than 8,400 patents. There are more now than ever before: “Switzerland performs extremely well. The country is in seventh place overall among all the applicant countries and third in Europe after Germany and France,” Osterwalder told the Swiss TV and radio service SRF. In relative terms, Switzerland is the frontrunner. No other country has filed more patents with the European Patent Office per capita.

Evidence of technological progress and long-term thinking

According to Osterwalder, the high volume of patents is due to the excellent combination of Swiss players involved: “It’s a good mix of large international companies, small innovative firms, start-ups but also universities and public research institutes with a strong interest in patents.” The high level of innovation indicates that Swiss companies and research institutions are planning for the longer term. According to Osterwalder, the many patents provide evidence of the long-term interests of companies and of their future developments. Contrary to many fears, patents do not impede progress. In fact, the opposite is true. A patent application not only protects an invention, but makes it public too. According to the SRF, patents are therefore also evidence of technological progress. After a maximum of 20 years, a patented invention may also be used and marketed by third parties.

A long history of innovation

In addition to the good mix of players involved in research, Switzerland’s great capacity for innovation is also based on its basic economic structures. Switzerland does not possess a wealth of raw materials and has never been able to export oil, gas, gold or steel to any significant degree. So ideas became one of the country's key exports. An innovative chemical and pharmaceutical industry developed, with the synthetic production of vitamin C becoming a major Swiss achievement. The same applies to the invention of Valium and the first antidepressant. Today, Switzerland is also the home of one of the most innovative medical technology sectors. The country has also been extremely inventive in other areas over the past two centuries. “SRF Trend” has compiled a list of nine interesting Swiss inventions:

Avoiding the “self-dwarfing” phenomenon

Despite all the excitement about Switzerland’s innovative strength, the country should not rest on its laurels. The NZZ newspaper warns that Switzerland is weakening, particularly when it comes to future technologies such as IT. Semiconductors, digital communication and computer technologies did not make it into the top ten technology fields that filed the highest number of applications. According to the NZZ, if Switzerland is not able to grow in these areas over the coming years, this could pose a threat to the country's innovative capacity.

Technological scepticism is also considered to be a threat to Switzerland’s innovative strength. Technology bans such as those in the fields of nuclear power and new cultivation technologies (CRISPR/Cas9), 5G scepticism and the increasing use of the precautionary principle all point to a rise in hostility toward technology and progress. However, innovation requires an openness to all technologies. Rather than imposing blanket bans, risks should be managed. This is the only way Switzerland can maintain its innovative capacity. Switzerland’s “self-dwarfing” tendency – the voluntary renunciation of advanced technologies – does not present a promising scenario for the future.