A record number of international patents were filed last year, indicating that innovation had not been stymied by the pandemic, the United Nations said Thursday, IgbereTV reports.
Even as Covid-19 took a vast human and economic toll, international patent applications continued to grow, with Asia, and China in particular, cementing their leading positions.
A record 277,500 international patents were filed in 2021, marking a 0.9-percent increase from 2020, the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organisation said in its annual overview.
“These figures show that human ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit remain strong despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic.” WIPO Director-General Daren Tang said in a statement.
Last year marked the 12th consecutive year of growth in international patent filings
