Sweden is amongst the global leaders in innovation, with companies constantly pushing boundaries and developing new technologies. Here, we explore the top 100 companies in Sweden, ranked by the number of patents published for the year 2023.
Rank | Company | Patent Count | HQ Country | Sector |
1 | ABB | 5397 | Switzerland | Automation |
2 | Siemens | 4080 | Germany | Conglomerate |
3 | Scania | 3739 | Sweden | Automotive |
4 | Ericsson | 3482 | Sweden | Telecommunications |
5 | Philips | 3199 | Netherlands | Consumer Electronics |
6 | Sandvik | 1598 | Sweden | Engineering |
7 | Robert Bosch | 1563 | Germany | Automotive |
8 | General Electric | 1523 | United States | Conglomerate |
9 | Astrazeneca | 1384 | Sweden | Pharmaceuticals |
10 | Electrolux | 1365 | Sweden | Consumer Electronics |
11 | Bayer | 1359 | Germany | Pharmaceuticals |
12 | Hoechst | 1324 | Germany | Chemicals Manufacturing |
13 | IBM | 1244 | United States | Information Technology |
14 | Western Electric | 1240 | United States | Electrical Engineering |
15 | Atlas Copco | 992 | Sweden | Industrial Gases |
16 | RCA | 883 | United States | Consumer Electronics |
17 | Imperial Chemical Industries | 853 | United Kingdom | Chemicals Manufacturing |
18 | Volvo | 784 | Sweden | Automotive |
19 | Ciba-Geigy | 774 | Switzerland | Pharmaceuticals |
20 | Bofors | 771 | Sweden | Arms Manufacturing |
21 | Tetra Laval | 699 | Switzerland | Food & Beverage Packaging |
22 | Unilever | 692 | Netherlands | Consumer Goods |
23 | Roche | 653 | Switzerland | Pharmaceuticals |
24 | Union Carbide | 649 | United States | Chemicals Manufacturing |
25 | BASF | 632 | Germany | Chemicals Manufacturing |
26 | Colgate-Palmolive | 632 | United States | Consumer Goods |
27 | Westinghouse Electric | 574 | United States | Nuclear Technology |
28 | Telia Company | 572 | Sweden | Telecommunications |
29 | DuPont | 569 | United States | Chemicals Manufacturing |
30 | Dow | 563 | United States | Chemicals Manufacturing |
31 | Shell | 560 | Netherlands | Oil & Gas |
32 | Volvo Truck | 552 | Sweden | Truck Manufacturing |
33 | Sandoz | 536 | Switzerland | Pharmaceuticals |
34 | AMP Inc | 523 | United States | Consumer Electronics |
35 | Husqvarna | 515 | Sweden | Machine Industry |
36 | Valmet | 513 | Finland | Paper Manufacturing |
37 | Merck | 481 | United States | Pharmaceuticals |
38 | Danfoss | 473 | Denmark | Electrical Engineering |
39 | SCA | 468 | Sweden | Paper Manufacturing |
40 | Alfa Laval | 463 | Sweden | Heat Transfer, Separation, Fluid Handling |
41 | AGA AB | 459 | Sweden | Industrial Gases |
42 | Stora Enso | 432 | Finland | Forestry Industry |
43 | ABB Fläkt | 431 | Sweden | Industrial Gases |
44 | Rhone Poulenc | 428 | France | Pharmaceuticals |
45 | Saab Scania | 420 | Sweden | Vehicle Manufacturing |
46 | Mercedes-Benz | 397 | Germany | Automotive |
47 | Schering | 375 | Germany | Pharmaceuticals |
48 | Dynamit Nobel | 374 | Germany | Chemicals Manufacturing |
49 | Evonik Degussa | 369 | Germany | Chemicals Manufacturing |
50 | Procter & Gamble | 369 | United States | Consumer Goods |
51 | Molnlycke | 362 | Sweden | Healthcare |
52 | Alfred Teves Gmbh | 350 | Germany | Automotive |
53 | Xerox | 341 | United States | Digital Printing |
54 | Pharmacia | 339 | Sweden | Pharmaceuticals |
55 | Monsanto | 339 | United States | Agrochemical |
56 | SKF | 338 | Sweden | Bearings and Seals Technology |
57 | Saab Ab | 334 | Sweden | Aerospace & Defence |
58 | M&Co | 321 | Scotland | Retail |
59 | United Technologies | 320 | United States | Conglomerate |
60 | MAN SE | 319 | Germany | Automotive |
61 | American Cyanamid | 310 | United States | Chemicals Manufacturing |
62 | DeLaval Holdings | 299 | Sweden | Dairy Industry |
63 | Zf Friedrichshafen Ag | 297 | Germany | Automotive |
64 | Illinois Tool Works | 296 | United States | Industrial Products Manufacturing |
65 | Henkel | 296 | Germany | Chemicals Manufacturing |
66 | Boliden | 294 | Sweden | Metallurgy & Mining |
67 | Mo Och Domsjo | 290 | Sweden | Forestry Industry |
68 | Tetra Pak | 288 | Sweden | Food & Beverage Packaging |
69 | Eli Lilly & Co | 288 | United States | Pharmaceuticals |
70 | Dart Industries | 279 | United States | Food & Beverage Packaging |
71 | Perstorp Ab | 277 | Sweden | Chemicals Manufacturing |
72 | Sumitomo Chemical | 276 | Japan | Chemicals Manufacturing |
73 | Akerlund & Rausing | 272 | Sweden | Food & Beverage Packaging |
74 | Motorola | 268 | United States | Telecommunications |
75 | Rockwell International | 268 | United States | Automotive |
76 | Texaco Dev | 264 | United States | Oil & Gas |
77 | Voith | 262 | Germany | Hydropower |
78 | The Goodyear Tire & Rubber | 261 | United States | Tire & Rubber Manufacturing |
79 | United Aircraft | 259 | United States | Aerospace |
80 | UOP | 258 | United States | Petroleum Industry |
81 | Michelin | 253 | France | Tyre Manufacturing |
82 | Nokia | 252 | Finland | Telecommunications |
83 | Hilti | 249 | Liechtenstein | Construction Products Manufacturing |
84 | Metallgesellschaft | 249 | Germany | Chemicals Manufacturing |
85 | Marconi Company | 248 | United Kingdom | Telecommunications |
86 | Dunlop | 248 | United Kingdom | Tyre Manufacturing |
87 | Seco Tools | 247 | Sweden | Machine Industry |
88 | Hughes Aircraft | 244 | United States | Aerospace |
89 | BP Chemicals | 235 | United Kingdom | Chemicals Manufacturing |
90 | Sunds Defibrator Industries | 231 | Sweden | Machine Industry |
91 | Knorr Bremse | 230 | Germany | Automotive |
92 | Borg Warner | 229 | United States | Automotive |
93 | Snamprogetti | 227 | Italy | Oil & Gas |
94 | Kalle | 227 | Germany | Industrial Products Manufacturing |
95 | Sulzer | 224 | Switzerland | Fluid Engineering |
96 | Studsvik | 222 | Sweden | Nuclear Technology |
97 | Bendix Corporation | 221 | United States | Automotive |
98 | PPG | 219 | United States | Chemicals Manufacturing |
99 | Montedison | 218 | Italy | Chemicals Manufacturing |
100 | Stamicarbon | 211 | Netherlands | Chemicals Manufacturing |
Key Findings:
The list top 100 companies filing most patents in Sweden reveals the diverse innovation landscape in the country;
Telecommunications and Electronics: Siemens (ranked 1st) and Ericsson (ranked 3rd) indicate innovations in telecommunications, network systems and consumer electronics.
Automotive and Transportation: Scania (ranked 2nd), Volvo (ranked 19th) and Volvo Truck (ranked 34th) demonstrate focus on vehicle design, engine technology and innovations in electric vehicles and autonomous driving.
Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare: Presence of renowned players like AstraZeneca (ranked 10th) and Bayer (ranked 12th) showcase focus on drug discovery, medical devices and healthcare technologies.
Energy and Electrical Engineering: ABB (ranked 5th), Western Electric (ranked 15th) and Brown Boveri (ranked 28th) highlight innovations in power systems, renewable energy solutions and smart grid technologies.
Industrial and Machine Engineering: Companies like Sandvik (ranked 7th), Atlas Copco (ranked 16th) and Illinois Tool Works (ranked 66th) suggest innovations in tools, machinery and industrial processes.
Chemicals Manufacturing: Firms such as BASF (ranked 26th), DuPont (ranked 31st), Sumitomo Chemical (ranked 74th) and BP Chemicals (ranked 91th) indicate a focus on chemical engineering and sustainable material technologies.
Consumer Electronics: Philips (ranked 4th) and Electrolux’s (ranked 11th) presence suggests innovations in consumer electronic products.
Information Technology: IBM (ranked 14th) in the dataset indicate innovations in computing technologies, software and artificial intelligence.
Insights & Takeaways:
- The Swedish patent landscape is both globally connected and constantly evolving.
- On the basis of the diverse technological and innovation landscape in Sweden, it can be deduced that innovation is not limited to established companies as new players have made their space in the list.
- The dataset demonstrates significant patent activity in specific sectors such as telecommunications, consumer electronics, automotive and pharmaceuticals.
This data underscores the country’s role as global innovation leader but also highlights the diverse sectors driving its technological advancements. The presence of both local and international firms showcases Sweden’s competitive industrial environment and positions it as a key player for future technological and economic growth.