| | | |

ABB Ranked Second Top Swiss Company for Patent Applications in 2024

March 25, 2025

ABB Ranked Second Top Swiss Company for Patent Applications in 2024

ABB Ranked Second Top Swiss Company for Patent Applications in 2024

  • European Patent Office’s annual index of top patent applicants places ABB second in Switzerland and 36th globally
  • In 2024, ABB invested around $1.5 billion, approximately 4.5 percent of consolidated revenues, in R&D activities
  • ABB has increased its R&D and related spend by about 40 percent since 2020

With 540 patent applications, ABB has secured second place among Swiss companies in the European Patent Office’s (EPO) Patent Index 2024, jumping from fourth place in 2023. The annual list of patent applications is published by the EPO in Munich, Germany, and highlights the companies and countries with the highest number of patents across the globe. ABB was the only company in the top 5 in Switzerland to record a year-on-year increase (+10.7%), moving up nine places from 45th to 36th place in the EPO’s global top 50 ranking.

“At ABB, research and development is driven by the company’s 19 divisions and focuses on developing and commercializing technologies that are strategically important for future growth”, said Morten Wierod, ABB CEO. “ABB’s position on the European Patent Office ranking demonstrates our commitment to sustained innovation and developing world-class technologies that transform industries to reach new levels of performance and sustainability.”

The ranking of second top Swiss Companies for patent applications in 2024 is testament to the efforts of ABB’s inventors and the wider intellectual property and innovation community. ABB employs 7,800 people in R&D centers across ~30 countries on six continents, with over half dedicated to digital and software development. More than 250 projects are running related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), covering innovations across ABB’s advanced software and digital offering.

Building on 140 years of engineering know-how, ABB invests an increasing share of revenues in both R&D and technology ventures to support the development of cutting-edge technology. In 2024, ABB made 9 new venture investments, and 8 follow on investments for a total investment of approximately $50 million across its four business areas. In 2024, ABB increased R&D and related spending by approximately 40 percent since 2020 and set an ambition to increase R&D as a percentage of revenues to between 4.5% to 5%. In 2024, ABB invested $1,469 million, or approximately 4.5 percent of consolidated revenues, in R&D activities, marking a 12 percent increase year-on-year.

ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this ‘Engineered to Outrun’. The company has over 140 years of history and around 110,000 employees worldwide. ABB’s shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB). www.abb.com

More Information

For more information on how ABB creates value through world-class technology, explore: ABB Annual Reporting Suite — ABB Group

Source

Related Story

ABB Underscores Focus on Electrification and Automation with New Brand Positioning and Tagline ‘Engineered to Outrun’

ABB introduces new brand positioning “We help industries outrun – leaner and cleaner” underpinning the next phase of the company’s development as a leader in electrification and automation following its successful transformation period. It articulates what ABB wants to be known for in the minds of its customers. 

Related Articles


Latest Articles

  • ABB Contactor Selection Guide Canada

    October 1, 2025 ABB contactors are among the most reliable electrical switching devices in industrial automation. As Canada’s leading ABB authorized distributor, Proax has helped thousands of engineers and technicians select the right ABB contactor for their applications. Whether you’re designing a new motor control panel or replacing existing equipment, choosing the right ABB contactor can… Read More…

  • 25 Advanced Motion Control Questions Answered

    October 1, 2025 Electromate has compiled a list of 25 advanced mechatronic engineering FAQs covering inertia, vibration, servo safety, control tuning, encoder resolution, and motion system design, and provided answers from their team of experts across the country. How do I model moment loading in real-world applications with offset payloads? Moment loading should be calculated… Read More…


Featured Article

Revolutionizing Material Movement with Autonomous Mobile Robots

Revolutionizing Material Movement with Autonomous Mobile Robots

In today’s fast-paced manufacturing and logistics industries, the need for efficient and flexible material movement solutions has never been greater. Traditional methods like conveyor systems, forklifts, and manual pushcarts have served us well, but they come with limitations.

That’s why Omron is thrilled to announce the launch of their game-changing MD Series of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). Read more


Products

  • Schneider Electric Unveils New AI Data Centre Reference Designs with NVIDIA

    October 6, 2025 Schneider Electric, a leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has announced new reference designs developed with NVIDIA that significantly accelerate time to deployment and aid operators as they adopt AI-ready infrastructure solutions. The first reference design delivers the industry’s first and only critical framework for integrated power management and liquid… Read More…

  • PISA-M Electronic Circuit Breakers: New NEC Class 2 Compliant Variants Available

    October 6, 2025 PULS introduces new 4-channel electronic circuit breakers designed specifically for power distribution in NEC Class 2 circuits, expanding the existing PISA-M series. PISA-M enables the safe distribution of load current into four individual Class 2 circuits. This offers a cost-effective alternative to multiple individually approved NEC Class 2 compliant power supplies, reducing both acquisition costs and… Read More…