« one figure one fact » - 12, France stands out in the rankings of innovation

12 French groups ranked among the top 100 global innovators

October 7, 2013

For the second year in a row, French companies are being honored for their performance in the field of innovation. Twelve French groups are included in the list of 100 most innovative organizations in the world published by the news agency, Thomson Reuters, on October 7. This means that France ranks third in the world after the United States and Japan.

22 European groups were recognized; France led the way (12 groups honored), followed by Switzerland (4), Germany (3), Sweden (2) and the Netherlands (1).

Nine French companies (Alcatel-Lucent, Arkema, EADS, L’Oréal, Michelin, Saint-Gobain, Thales, Safran and Valeo) and 3 French public bodies (CEA, CNRS and IFP Energies Nouvelles) were identified by the Reuters group.

The study honors France’s innovation policy, notably the research tax credit. “The countries that rank in the top 3 are those whose governments have long focused on stimulating innovation, notably through tax cuts,” explained Dominique Ducay, Director of IP Strategy and Business Development at Reuters.

The Reuters ranking isn’t just based on the number of patents, but also on the percentage of patents accepted compared to the number of patents filed, the geographic scope of the patents and their visibility.

http://thomsonreuters.com/articles/2013/top-100-global-innovators