The country concentrated 45.6% of requests in the region from 2016 to 2020 and has more than 750 thousand jobs in sectors linked to industrial property
A joint study by the (European Patent Organization) and ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) shows that the areas that make greater use of industrial property rights represent 13.6% of the Gross Domestic Product of the manufacturing sector, creating around 1.6 million jobs in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Sectors such as automotive, electronics and pharmaceuticals fall into this category.
In Brazil, these industries represent 16% of the added value of manufacturing and more than 750 thousand jobs. Here is the study (PDF, in English – 33 MB).
Brazil occupies the 1st position in the ranking of Latin American and Caribbean countries in patent filings from 2016 to 2020: 45.6% of the total.
The region, however, continues to be an importer of patented technologies. More than 85% of patent applications are filed by foreign applicants – the majority from the United States (36.2%) and Europe (34.7%).
“Latin America and the Caribbean need the debate on industrial property to mature and be more aligned with other productive development policies, for the debate to focus less on industrial property as an isolated tool and more on the ecosystem in which it operates”said José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, executive secretary of ECLAC.
“Industrial property can contribute to development, but this will occur more effectively when it is part of comprehensive productive development policies aimed at closing technological gaps, strengthening domestic capabilities and improving the region’s position in higher value-added activities”he stated.
According to the report, productivity levels in these sectors are higher than in other segments and the jobs have higher salaries – average salaries are around 30% higher than the general average.
“Industrial property can support development, but the economic impact depends, more broadly, on the innovation ecosystem and the public policy frameworks that support that ecosystem”said the president of OEP, Antônio Campinos.
“The region already has significant talent and scientific expertise, but commercialization skills, technology transfer capabilities and stronger links between universities and industry, as well as effective public policies and greater regional cooperation, are essential to transform innovation into sustainable value”he declared.
About the study
The study identifies significant potential for innovation that has not yet been explored within the region. Public research institutions, such as universities and national laboratories, accounted for 29% of all patent filings from 2016 to 2020.
The study identifies a growing gap between the place where innovation is created and the place where it is actually appropriated. In 2020, the global share of technologies invented in the Latin America and Caribbean region was almost 80% higher than the share of patents held by applicants from the same region.
This difference is most visible in the area of computer technology, where a large part of the inventions originating in the region belong to foreign companies, mainly based in the United States and Europe.
The analysis covers manufacturing activity in 9 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.
