The National Industrial Property Institute (INPI) has published its ranking of the top patent holders in France, and Safran has come in at first place, with its portfolio of 16,457 active patents.
Safran came ahead of some major names in industry, with automotive supplier Groupe Valeo in second place (10,407 active patents), and car manufacturer Stellantis in third (9,903 patents). In aviation, Airbus came in sixth (6,566 patents), Thales eighth (5,585), Boeing 14th (4,307), and Raytheon 17th, with 3,752 patents.
This is not a global ranking: it means Safran holds the largest portfolio of patents in France, where the vast majority of the company’s R&D teams are located. However, Safran is also the top French patent holder of European patents, according to the European Patent Office (EPO), and in the USA, as per the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO).
Safran’s innovation in aerospace is driven by technical solutions devised by its 1,700 inventors worldwide, as well as strategic partnerships with research and academic organisations, scientific networks, research chairs, and open innovation initiatives with suppliers and startups.
Safran has commented that this high number of active patents is the result of a proactive innovation and intellectual property policy, coupled with the specific timescales of the aerospace sector, where cycles are particularly long. Safran also invests in maintaining its patents for the maximum term of 20 years, which it says is relatively short, given the technology maturation time from initial idea to product entry into service, and the duration of industrial and commercial exploitation of these innovations in products, processes and services.
Second in patent applications
Safran has been among the top rankings for patent applications in France every year since 2011, and took the top spot in the last two years’ tables. This year, Safran ranks second in terms of applications for patents for inventions, with 1,232 applications. Stellantis was in first place, with 1,542 applications.
“Safran’s leadership in patents reflects the place of innovation in our technologic strategy,” said Eric Dalbiès, Safran’s EVP of strategy and Chief Technology Officer, of the INPI rankings. “The efforts of our teams, combined with strategic partnerships and collaborative approaches, is helping drive a dynamic innovation ecosystem, shaping the future of low-carbon aviation.”
Safran devotes 75% of its self-funded spending in research & technology to environmental efficiency innovations, and most of its patented inventions reflect this effort. Between 2021 and 2025, €4.2 billion is being invested in the disruptive innovations needed to achieve more sustainable aviation.
Note: In 2024, for the first time, INPI has published its ranking on the basis of patents filed in order to offer a more accurate representation of French economic activity. As such, the data presented cannot be compared with previous rankings because they also include provisional applications (patents pending) and utility certificate (or utility model) applications, which do not necessarily lead to the issue of patents for invention.
