Valeo the leading French patent filer: INPI
Patent applications in France continue to be dominated by the country’s largest automotive and aerospace manufacturers, it has been revealed.
According to a new report from the National Institute for Intellectual Property (INPI), automotive supplier Valeo led the way in French patent filings in 2018, with 1,355 applications.
PSA, which owns automobile brands including Peugeot, Citroën, Opel and Vauxhall, was in second place with 1,074 patent filings.
Both companies retained their place as the top two patent filers, which they have held for the since 2016.
Aerospace manufacturer Safran, public research company CEA and car manufacturer Renault rounded off the list of the top five patent filers in 2018.
According to INPI, 12 public bodies and two “medium-sized companies” ranked in the top 50. The office said that the results demonstrated a “desire for increased protection from public bodies, but also from smaller companies” [translated from French].
In a press release, INPI director general Pascal Faure said that the list “ highlights the strength of French industry, with global champions, particularly in the automotive, rail, aeronautics and energy sectors, as well as electronics and electronics”.
Faure also welcomed the increased presence of public research bodies and small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the rankings.
The data shows that SMEs are “increasingly integrating the strategic dimension of industrial property into their development”, Faure said.
“In this context, the support mission of the INPI is more than ever decisive for the influence of the French economy”, he added.
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