Scotland lags Scandinavian countries on patent filings

● Denmark and Norway both post higher IP figures

Scotland is lagging behind its Scandinavian counterparts on innovation with significantly fewer patent applications being filed, according to new figures.

Scottish intellectual property firm Marks & Clerk analysed data from Norway, Denmark and Scotland – which each have similar populations – over the past two years and found that the two Scandinavian countries have filed a significantly higher number of European patent applications since January 2016.

Scotland registered 254 applications in 2016, compared to the 483 and 1,423 filed by Norway and Denmark respectively.

Paul Chapman, an Edinburgh-based partner from Marks & Clerk, said: “While Scotland is famed for innovation, the data shows Scottish companies are protecting their inventions far less than their Scandinavian cousins. Our businesses need to become better not just at developing IP but also protecting and commercialising their rights.”

Denmark stood out for the level of patent filings across all areas, but particularly in the biotechnological sector.

The data also shows that Denmark has been particularly active in the filing of chemistry-related patent applications, applying for 517 from January 2016 to January 2018. Scotland filed just 60 in the same category.

The majority of Scotland’s applications were filed in the “instruments” category, although Norway and Denmark both filed more – 179 and 283 respectively – compared to Scotland’s 107.

The highest number of Scottish patent applications were in sectors related to oil and gas drilling, medical science and materials analysis.

Chapman said the figures highlighted a stark disparity between Scotland and countries “where the filing of applications indicates an ingrained strategy for business success”.

“Whilst one should not immediately equate the number of patent filings with commercial success, it is nevertheless an important metric. While protecting a company’s IP comes at a cost, this is very much an investment, and with protection can come reward,” he said.

“It certainly appears that Norwegian and Danish companies are recognising that. Companies and individuals wishing to protect their IP should not see it merely as an expense, but rather as an investment. With any investment comes risks, but the potential upside can be significant.” A rise in rents helped lift profits at Hammerson, the shopping centre and retail park giant behind the likes of Aberdeen’s Union Square and the Bullring in Birmingham, though the firm yesterday warned Brexit-related uncertainty was still weighing on the British retail market. The group, which is also the joint owner of Silverburn in Glasgow, reported a 6.9 per cent rise in net rental income for the year to 31 December to £370.4 million, up from £346.5m a year earlier.