Safran confirms its status as the champion of innovation
A triple recognition in the field of innovation! Safran ranked second in the INPI 2024 list of patent filers in France published on March 24, 2025. The Group also currently ranks 42nd in the 2025 edition of the “Top 100 Global Innovators”, published by Clarivate. And finally: Safran is the leading French applicant and developer of European patents!
Safran, a leader in French innovation
Since 2012, Safran has been on the podium of the top patent filers in France, a ranking that is published each year by the INPI. This year is no exception: the Group has once again ranked second, confirming its status as a key player in innovation, both in France and worldwide.
… and worldwide!
Are you familiar with the “Top 100 Global Innovators” ranking? For the past 14 years, this ranking has listed the 100 most innovative companies worldwide. Created by Clarivate, the ranking is based on four criteria: the number of patents published by the company, their quality, their international scope, and their influence.
Already included in last year’s Top 50 list, Safran’s four-point rise to 42nd place further strengthens its position in this prestigious ranking. This is also the 12th time the Group has made it on this list.
Safran’s inclusion on this list for the 12th time out of 14 editions is no coincidence. It reflects, above all, the creativity and dedication of our teams, who develop groundbreaking solutions. It also highlights the constant vigilance shown by our inventors and managers in protecting intellectual property, demonstrated by the large number of invention declarations that undergo rigorous evaluation and processing. Finally, the expertise and efficiency of the Intellectual Property teams play a crucial role in building and maintaining a high-quality patent portfolio.
And that’s not all: did you know that Safran also holds the most patents of any French company in the United States and Europe? In the 2024 ranking of patent applications published by the European Patent Office on March 25, 2025, Safran secured the 33rd position (a 14-point increase), making it the highest-ranked French company on the list.
A winning innovation strategy
With investments in R&D and open innovation, R&T work carried out within Safran Tech, and programs such as “We Love Intrapreneurs” or the Safran Innovation Awards that promote employee ideas, innovation is firmly embedded in the Group’s DNA and remains a collective effort. These results reflect both Safran’s strategic approach and the ingenuity of its employees.
It is also the result of a robust and effective intellectual property policy. This policy is implemented as of the upstream R&T phases and is backed up by a strong monitoring activity, enabling it to protect its product strategy.
Safran files over 1,000 first patent applications worldwide each year. Moreover, in 2024, 88% of the Group’s self-financed research and technology investments were dedicated to improving the environmental performance of its products.
Being at the top of these rankings is not an end in itself. It is the result of a technological strategy strengthened by an intellectual property policy that has been developed and implemented with perseverance and determination by all stakeholders over many years.
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