The 2024 edition of the Patent Palmère shows the Innovation Champions in France. When Stellantis and Saffran dominate, L’Oréal comes on the podium and Toulouse III University – Paul Sabatier enters the top 50.
The 2024 edition of Track record Patent operator in France, unveiled by the National Institute of Industrial Property (Inpi), again the flagships of the French industry. When Stellantis and Saffran are at the top of the ranking with 1,289 or 1,216 patent deposits, the entrance to L’Oréal on the podium marks a turning point for a record dominated by the automobile and aviation.
In addition to the leading trio, however, two players deserve special attention, especially in Occitania: Airbus, which remains an essential engine of industrial innovation and that, and thatToulouse III University – Paul Sabatierwhose progress illustrates the dynamics of academic research.
Airbus: an innovation under restriction
Airbus is classified in eighth place with 301 patent deposits and retains its central role in the Aeronautical Innovation. In a context in which the air sector has to deal with imperative decarbonation, technological sovereignty and cost optimization, the company continues to invest massively in research and development. The patents deposited by Airbus cover a wide range that ranges from improving aerodynamic performance to integrating new electrical and hybrid drive solutions.
The stability of the group in the charts – 7. Or 8. Since 2015 – translates a robust innovation strategy, but also the challenges with which it is confronted. While the regulatory pressure on CO2 emissions increases, Airbus must reconcile industrial competitiveness and ecological transition. His commitment to sustainable fuels and new aircraft architectures, which are emphasized by its latest patent deposits, testifies to a strategic anticipation for market developments.
Toulouse III University – Paul Sabatier: The rise of a scientific pole
The other highlight of the 2024 price list is the presence of Toulouse III University – Paul Sabatier, which for the first time has joined the classification of the 50 main patent films in France, in the 49E Place with 28 deposits. This result shows the growing importance of academic institutions in the landscape of national innovation.
If the entry of a new university into the 50 top inserts is a remarkable progress, it does not question the concentration of innovation within a limited number of actors. The first 50 inserts represent 62 % of the patents submitted in France in 2024. This phenomenon illustrates the predominant location of the most important industrial groups in the country’s innovation strategy, but also raises the question of support for support.