When Washington turns research budgets into a political battleground, it sends what one Swiss ecosystem leader calls a “fatal signal” to scientists watching from around the world. Increasingly, that signal is redirecting their attention toward Switzerland, and especially toward the Basel region. “We are hearing more and more from US scientists and companies that they…
S&P 100 patent moats are shifting toward chips, banks and everyday brands
The intensity of the chip race is written in the patent data. Between early 2024 and late 2025, Qualcomm added nearly 6,000 active patent families to its portfolio, a 25% jump that makes it the S&P 100’s single biggest gainer in absolute terms. Rival Nvidia expanded its own IP moat by 21% over the same period.…
Asia owns IFI’s patent leaderboard as China takes 7 of top 10; Japan leads by company count
Not long ago, U.S. firms like IBM dominated patent rankings, topping U.S. grant lists for decades until Samsung overtook IBM in 2022. But now, Chinese companies claim seven of the top 10 spots in global active patent holdings, In front is State Grid Corp. a state-owned utility. The Chinese Academy of Sciences comes in second,…
Health-related innovation in Morocco highlighted by resident inventor patenting activity
The continents of Europe, Asia, and the Americas are widely recognized as sources of innovation, but Africa is less known for its R&D efforts. Yet, despite certain economic challenges, Africa is beginning to take its place on the world stage for invention. Recent patenting activity can identify the seeds of such nascent creativity. Patent protection…
This week in R&D: Vast Space unveils Haven 2 station plans; White House backs $32B AI R&D boost
The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending October 25, 2024, closed at 3962.81 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was down -1.49% (or -60.14 basis points). Seven RDWI members gained value last week from 0.27% (Toyota) to 5.88% (General Motors). Eighteen RDWI members lost value the previous week from -0.27%…
This week in R&D: BMW & Toyota’s hydrogen EV alliance, Moderna’s R&D spending scrutinized, and Nvidia’s AI data center investment
The R&D World Index (RDWI) for the week ending September 6, 2024, closed at 3,811.42 for the 25 companies in the RDWI. The Index was down -3.99% (or -158.42 basis points). Two RDWI members gained value last week from 0.37% (Oracle) to 2.61% (Sanofi SA). Twenty-three RDWI members lost value the previous week from -0.52%…
Glowing rocks, a new sport, and what we can learn about different approaches
I’ve discovered a new sport, one made possible by Erik Rintamaki. No, he’s not the inventor of pickleball — and the sport I found is not the fastest growing in the U.S. My new sport is a bit more scientific and, for R&Ders, it comes with a useful allegory. The sport I discovered is Yooperlite…