Under the theme ‘IP and the SDGs: Building our common future with innovation and creativity’, World Intellectual Property Day 2024 is addressing global challenges and highlighting the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To mark the event, the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) has published new information about IP and sustainable development on its website....

The 4th edition of the Swiss Cleantech Report is now available. This reference publication shines a spotlight on Switzerland’s strengths in the field of clean technologies and highlights a range of technologies, products and achievements developed by Swiss SMEs, research institutes and start-ups. The focus of this latest edition is put on sustainability, in line with the UN’s Sustainable...

Ahead of World Cancer Day (4 February), the European Patent Office (EPO) has just released a new study, which finds that innovation in the fight against cancer has surged by 70% between 2015 and 2021, as measured by the number of international patent families (IPFs). Switzerland contributed largely to this development. In the past 20 years, close to 5000 international patent families have been...

Female inventors are the focus of this year’s World Intellectual Property Day. For generations, women have shaped our world with their ingenuity and creativity. On 26 April, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will be celebrating innovative women across the globe under the heading ‘Women and IP’. “Women everywhere are driving scientific breakthroughs, setting new creative trends...

When smear-ripened cheese is stored in airtight packaging, it often loses some of its flavour and becomes sticky. A new manufacturing process resolves this problem. It was devised with the help of a stocking. Read the whole story in our blog

A new feature called the Global Innovation Tracker provides a snapshot of global innovation activity, including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual Global Innovation Index evaluates the innovative performance of individual countries based on around 80 indicators. Leader in patents Back in March, the European Patent Office’s (EPO) Patent Index revealed that Switzerland was able to...

The European Patent Office (EPO) is hosting the first-ever digital edition of the European Inventor Award ceremony on Thursday, 17 June, which viewers will be able to watch at inventoraward.org. The ceremony, an important event in the science and innovation calendar, will give audiences around the globe an opportunity to learn about outstanding inventors from Europe and beyond who have devised...

Under the motto ‘IP & SMEs: taking your ideas to market’, this year's World IP Day focuses on the critical role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the economy, and how they can use IP to become more competitive and resilient. SMEs in Switzerland account for 99% of all companies. For these SMEs, too, everything started with an idea that found its way to market. When such an idea is...

The new Swiss Cleantech Report has been published. It presents sustainable innovations from Switzerland developed by SMEs, research institutes and start-ups. Drones for sustainable agriculture, technologies for recycling specific components, state-of-the-art energy management systems and an electric aircraft are just some of the many projects from a total of five categories. High-quality Swiss...

Switzerland is the most innovative country in the world for the tenth consecutive year. This is the result of the Global Innovation Index 2020 (GII), based on an assessment of 131 economies worldwide. Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom are next in the rankings. Compared to the EU, Switzerland outperforms in all areas. Switzerland exceeds expectations when it comes to transforming...

Switzerland is a key location for innovation in the field of additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing. In fact, no other country applies to the European Patent Office (EPO) for as many 3D printing technology patents per capita and in relation to economic performance, a fact highlighted in a study published by the EPO on 13 July. Here is an overview of the results of the study: No other...

With WIPO PROOF, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has launched a global online service that provides proof of the existence of a digital file at a specific point in time. The new service complements WIPO’s existing intellectual property systems by helping creators to take verifiable measures to better protect the results of their work. The system is intended to reduce the...

Every 26 April marks World Intellectual Property Day. This year, the focus is on how innovation can create a green future and the various ways in which IP can be used to achieve this. Intellectual property has a key role to play in tackling climate change. “New climate-friendly innovations and new ways of thinking are urgently required to tackle the climate crisis and achieve a green future,”...

Up until 8 May, designers can submit entries for the DesignEuropa Awards. The Awards celebrate outstanding achievements in the field of design and design management. Organised every two years by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the Awards have two categories open for applications and nominations: Small and Emerging Companies and Industry. There is an additional category...

In 2019, the number of patent applications originating from Switzerland filed with the European Patent Office (EPO) increased by 3.6% to reach a record high of 8,249 (2018 – 7,961). These figures can be found in the EPO’s Patent Index 2019, published today. The increase in applications from Switzerland last year was more than three times higher than the EU average of 0.9%. In 2019, Switzerland...

In Bern, young people recently competed to reach the final of the national Swiss Youth in Science competition. In the process, they also learned about protecting their intellectual property.   On 18 January at the Neufeld grammar school in Bern, the foundations were laid for the final of the Swiss Youth in Science competition. The young people presented their competition entries in seven...

Industries in Switzerland that make intensive use of intellectual property rights (IPR) contribute significantly to employment and the gross domestic product (GDP). This is the conclusion of a European study that has just been published. The European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) have examined the role IP rights play in economic performance,...

How do I develop a design strategy? At the Swiss Innovation Forum in Basel, the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) is holding a breakout session on this topic. Under the motto "Try", inspiring projects will be presented at the Swiss Innovation Forum (SIF) in Basel on 21 November.  In addition to keynotes, participants can take part in breakout sessions and gain an insight...

On 19 September in Bern, the European Patent Office (EPO) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) will host a roundtable on “Patenting procedures relating to computer-implemented inventions.” The free seminar will focus on the patentability of software in Europe. Computer programs are, as such, protected under copyright. However, thousands of patents are granted for...

The nomination period for the European Inventor Award 2020 is now open. Up until 30 September, participants can help determine who should receive the coveted award by nominating an inventor. Participation is not limited to inventors. Anyone working in business, research, intellectual property associations, universities and members of the general public can submit a nomination. You can find...

From 1 August, five changes will take effect in the field of patents in Switzerland. They concern, for example, the procedure for multiple changes to the register and for applications which are submitted too early. You can find details of the changes to practice in our newsletter (only available in German or French).

Exceptional inventors have been awarded with the European Inventor Award 2019 at a ceremony in Vienna. The winners, from Austria, France, Japan, the Netherlands and Spain, were honoured for their outstanding achievements in plastic recycling, cancer diagnostics, rechargeable battery technology, marine antifouling and DNA testing. “The imagination, intellect and expertise on display at this...

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) published its Status Report on IPR Infringement (in English) on 6 June 2019. The report summarises the findings of the research carried out in recent years by the EUIPO, through the European  Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights (Observatory), on the extent, scope and economic consequences of intellectual property...

Online shopping is very popular among Swiss consumers. However, not everything delivered to Switzerland is necessarily legal. The 2018 Customs Statistics from the Federal Customs Administration (FCA) indicate an increase in the past year in consignments seized from both tourist and commercial traffic. However, the number of counterfeit goods ordered online and delivered by post or courier is also...

In its Annual Report 2018, the European Patent Office (EPO) has published statistics on patent applications originating from Switzerland. A record number of patent applications were filed from Switzerland in the past year. “With regard to patents, Switzerland demonstrated very significant growth in 2018,” said EPO President António Campinos. According to the report, Switzerland is the country...

The exhibition at the Swiss Customs Museum on counterfeiting and piracy has been a great success. As a result, it is to be extended for a further year in 2019. The Swiss Customs Museum in Cantine di Gandria in Ticino is closing its doors until next April for the winter season. But in doing so, it has also taken stock of the most recent season: according to the Federal Customs Administration,...

Even a door lock or a radiator can look chic: the jury of the DesignEuropa Awards announced the eight finalists for the award ceremony in November. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) will host the DesignEuropa Awards 2018 on 27 November in Warsaw. Its jury has now presented four finalists for each of the two categories. “Industry Award” Category ·         Modular...

In the Global Innovation Index 2018, Switzerland’s performance is outstanding. Our country ranks first in global and European rankings. Good ideas therefore pay off. “Who invented it?” Switzerland enjoys an excellent international reputation when it comes to innovations, and this is reflected once more in figures. In a comparison between 126 countries, Switzerland has defended its top position...

On 1 July 2018, the operative phase of a joint pilot project of the five largest patent offices of the world (IP5) to test a collaboration on search and examination work of PCT applications (Collaborative Search and Examination, CS&E) began. This CS&E concept involves processing the same PCT application by an examiner from the patent office responsible under the PCT together with examination...

On 7 June in Paris, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the EPA announced the Winners of the European Inventor Award 2018. The Swiss physicist Prof. Ursula Keller received the prize for her invention of the ultra-fast laser pulses.

The success of the Swiss biotech industry continues. In 2017, the success of recent years could be consolidated and even somewhat surpassed, as the latest statistics in the Swiss Biotech Report show. The report features the most important drivers of innovation and summarises issues and facts about the development of the Swiss biotech industry. The Swiss Biotech Report is compiled annually by a...

Do you have a brilliant idea? Protect it so that you can share it with the world. That is the message of the European video campaign that we want to share with you on World Intellectual Property Day. You can find further information on all matters concerning the protection of intellectual property in our SME-Portal.

The European Inventor Award 2018 honours ingenious inventors from a wide range of fields from all over the world. This year, Swiss scientist and professor Ursula Keller is among the finalists. She has been nominated for her ultrafast pulsed lasers invention. Vote for your favourite inventors to participate in a prize draw organised by the EPO.

The European Patent Office (EPO) has published the statistics for patent applications originating from Switzerland in its Annual Report 2017. For the second time, three higher education institutions (EPFL, ETH and the University of Zurich) were among the top 20 Swiss applicants. The company Roche, however, remains the most active patent applicant. The canton of Vaud is again the canton with the...

Nominations for the European Inventor Award 2018 are now open. The Award recognises outstanding inventors from around the world, from all technical fields and backgrounds. People from industry, research institutes, IP associations and universities, as well as the general public, are all welcome to make a suggestion. You can even nominate yourself if you want!

The Swiss Biotech Report 2017 has just been published. It illuminates the most important drivers of innovation and summarises issues and facts about the development of the Swiss biotech industry. Compiled by a group of representatives from public institutions – including the Federal Institute of Intellectual Property – and current enterprises, it appears annually. Press release (pdf, 124 KB)

The introduction of a resale right would allow visual artists to receive a share of the proceeds from the resale of their works through art dealers. The Federal Council today adopted a report on this subject, which fulfils a postulate from Council of States member Luginbühl. The report presents various possibilities for the resale right and analyses the economic impact of its introduction. Media...

From 1 July 2015, it will no longer be possible to file PCT applications in PCT-EASY mode.All PCT applications submitted on paper together with a copy in electronic form on or after 1 July 2015 will be treated as a PCT application in paper format. The fee reduction (CHF 100.00) will no longer apply for such applications. The IPI therefore draws attention to the possibility of filing online via...

The Swiss Biotech Report 2015 has just been published. It illuminates the most important drivers of innovation and summarises issues and facts about the development of the Swiss biotech industry. Compiled by a group of representatives from public institutions – including the Federal Institute of Intellectual Property – and current enterprises, it appears annually.More information about...