Switzerland is known as one of the most innovative countries in the world because of its internationally renowned research center, top-notch scientific and technological knowledge, efficient and competent human resources, and close cooperation and frequent interaction between scientific research institutes and enterprises. Switzerland is in a leading position in patent application, intellectual property income and production of high-end scientific and technological products, and the transformation rate of innovation results is extremely high. 3% of Switzerland's GDP is spent on R&D, which is much higher than the average of 2.4% in OECD countries.
In 20 19, Switzerland once again became the country with the highest number of patent applications per million people, with 988 patent applications, a record high (956 last year). The average number of applications per million people in the EU is 140.