Patent Scorecard

The numbers are in on 150 of the world’s most inventive companies

COMPANYTechnological Strength/RankNumber of PatentsCurrent Impact IndexScience LinkageTechnology Cycle Time1999*1994-98§1999*1994-98§1999*1994-98§1999*1994-98§1999*1994-98§AerospaceBOEING (U.S.)278/1153/43251800.850.850.550.829.9013.20ROCKWELL INT’L (U.S.)231/2154/31851551.250.991.010.376.808.00LOCKHEED MARTIN (U.S.)218/3212/22292430.950.871.491.407.808.60UNITED TECHNOLOGIES (U.S.)206/4249/13103500.660.710.600.378.709.60NORTHROP GRUMMAN (U.S.)138/5102/51631240.850.820.500.637.808.80TEXTRON (U.S.)48/677/653770.911.000.100.278.009.90TI GROUP (U.K.)42/750/735361.191.380.380.117.309.70SNECMA (France)31/836/863730.490.500.350.198.5011.90GENERAL DYNAMICS (U.S.)27/98/142591.050.962.788.638.3011.80AEROSPATIALE GROUP (France)23/1033/948680.480.480.300.309.2010.50AEROQUIP-VICKERS (U.S.)22/1120/1120231.090.841.060.838.108.50GKN (U.K.)17/1221/1028370.620.570.000.028.109.70DFVLR (Germany)16/1314/1322220.720.610.801.387.507.70SEQUA U.S. (U.S.)13/1418/1215170.841.030.430.2811.1014.00AutomotiveTOYOTA (Japan)700/1331/54872591.441.280.300.355.806.10HONDA (Japan)580/2375/44703231.231.160.100.195.906.40DENSO (Japan)527/3403/34383201.201.260.280.296.806.60GENERAL MOTORS (U.S.)513/4460/14274471.201.030.590.486.707.60DAIMLER CHRYSLER (Germany)493/5328/65114050.960.810.310.227.708.40TRW (U.S.)465/6323/83302041.411.580.770.596.907.50FORD (U.S.)446/7439/24043781.101.160.330.317.408.20BOSCH (Germany)413/8324/74503370.920.960.170.227.206.80AISIN SEIKI (Japan)338/9131/122271301.491.010.380.515.806.80NISSAN (Japan)314/10198/102691851.171.070.100.156.006.20EATON (U.S.)306/11171/112391781.280.960.160.267.508.90YAZAKI (Japan)300/12219/92981871.011.170.010.026.606.60LEAR (U.S.)298/1362/17162561.851.111.490.378.408.90YAMAHA (Japan)233/1495/141771391.320.680.000.026.708.90CUMMINS ENGINE (U.S.)153/1570/15116621.321.120.200.218.3010.70DELPHI AUTOMOTIVE (U.S.)131/16102/13106921.231.110.250.255.606.90BREED TECHNOLOGIES (U.S.)115/1726/1860131.921.940.020.064.906.70MITSUBISHI (Japan)101/1868/1661501.651.350.000.065.105.60Biotech/PharmaceuticalsMERCK (U.S.)246/1180/42542050.970.885.856.425.706.40SMITHKLINE BEECHAM (U.K.)227/243/18251800.910.545.433.187.108.10PFIZER (U.S.)195/3174/51531411.281.242.772.597.107.80ROCHE (Switzerland)180/4215/12482750.730.7815.4614.618.208.50ELI LILLY (U.S.)171/5141/81831830.940.777.659.466.609.00BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB (U.S.)155/6156/71691720.920.9110.127.448.908.30AMERICAN HOME PRODUCTS (U.S.)149/7204/32262220.660.927.386.667.307.90NOVO NORDISK (Denmark)133/869/10218980.610.715.527.226.808.10NOVARTIS (Switzerland)133/9205/22083410.640.6011.264.598.909.60INCYTE PHARM. (U.S.)127/1044/17248270.511.628.7912.704.305.50ABBOTT LABORATORIES (U.S.)124/11168/61491630.831.037.794.089.608.90ASTRAZENECA (U.K.)121/12109/92111430.570.766.605.178.208.00GLAXO WELLCOME (U.K.)115/1352/1590741.290.708.269.857.708.60SCHERING-PLOUGH (U.S.)113/1436/21110631.030.5812.068.827.6010.20PHARMACIA & UPJOHN (U.S.)109/1564/121391040.780.6114.719.168.109.00ISIS PHARMACEUTICALS (U.S.)103/1638/2067241.531.5636.6138.876.906.40ALZA (U.S.)92/1735/2256341.631.042.902.4010.4010.30GENERAL HOSPITAL (U.S.)84/1845/1686420.971.0736.6232.797.908.10SCHERING (Germany)61/1941/1973590.840.694.954.198.908.60TAKEDA CHEMICAL (Japan)61/2060/1394950.650.635.292.578.308.90WARNER-LAMBERT (U.S.)55/2167/1180830.690.818.696.199.809.40XOMA (U.S.)51/2219/2315123.271.5541.2944.354.705.90CHIRON (U.S.)49/2353/1474530.671.0042.5729.258.909.00ChemicalsPROCTER & GAMBLE (U.S.)1115/1664/25573412.001.951.052.099.4010.203M (U.S.)621/2749/14725461.311.373.042.009.2010.30DUPONT (U.S.)380/3396/35204830.730.824.723.168.909.90BASF (Germany)302/4243/75144590.590.531.700.958.8010.50BAYER (Germany)260/5254/65225080.500.502.491.748.409.30SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL (Japan)205/6129/122331900.880.680.430.396.407.70CABOT (U.S.)205/713/1744124.631.075.005.548.209.90MONSANTO (U.S.)201/8137/102481930.810.7112.968.309.909.40DOW CHEMICAL (U.S.)189/9204/81802651.050.775.233.809.109.90DOW CORNING (U.S.)169/10138/92061660.820.830.810.778.709.10RHONE POULENC (France)164/11115/132362090.700.558.373.599.0010.40HOECHST (Germany)162/12300/43305560.490.545.263.089.009.40ROHM AND HAAS (U.S.)160/13260/51602111.001.231.010.717.707.90HENKEL (Germany)135/14114/141891730.720.661.531.239.2012.40BRIDGESTONE (Japan)135/1593/151671220.810.760.881.238.4010.80AGFA (Germany)120/16131/111951680.620.780.070.156.707.30DEGUSSA-HÜLS (Germany)118/1792/161891610.620.570.870.747.108.90Computers IBM (U.S.)6895/13888/1273618002.522.161.011.315.606.10NEC (Japan)2857/21608/2191212181.491.320.650.704.805.10FUJITSU (Japan)2153/31261/312699201.701.370.640.665.505.80SUN MICROSYSTEMS (U.S.)2083/4433/105591683.732.581.911.704.204.50HEWLETT-PACKARD (U.S.)1558/5977/58505651.831.731.151.406.006.50MICROSOFT (U.S.)1441/6463/73611423.993.262.611.774.404.60COMPAQ (U.S.)1403/7924/64153423.382.700.771.244.606.30XEROX (U.S.)1051/81029/46446551.631.570.930.876.506.40RICOH (Japan)584/9453/84223431.391.320.280.356.105.60SEIKO EPSON (Japan)526/10319/113102101.701.520.680.837.407.00APPLE COMPUTER (U.S.)496/11450/91781612.782.801.291.365.205.20NCR (U.S.)429/12172/141931122.231.540.780.615.906.70SEAGATE (U.S.)355/13186/13177992.011.880.640.556.106.50NOVELL (U.S.)347/1442/1858116.033.993.632.624.604.00OKI (Japan)338/15133/152421031.391.290.610.585.005.20ORACLE (U.S.)331/1660/1689213.742.811.491.103.504.70CISCO SYSTEMS (U.S.)324/1757/1755135.854.300.920.925.404.60FUJI XEROX (Japan)290/18233/122491971.161.130.620.745.305.50Electrical/ElectronicsSAMSUNG (Korea)2347/1956/617057901.381.210.150.195.305.60CANON (Japan)2102/21897/1177414371.191.320.490.527.607.20SONY (Japan)1970/31280/314219411.391.360.310.365.605.70TOSHIBA (Japan)1926/41347/2129410601.491.270.620.635.706.00HITACHI (Japan)1869/5354/1312802641.461.340.760.826.306.70MATSUSHITA (Japan)1588/61209/4123310071.291.200.520.686.005.90MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC (Japan)1527/71161/5110910181.381.140.610.775.805.90PHILIPS (Netherlands)1269/8755/99997191.271.050.510.675.906.40EASTMAN KODAK (U.S.)1007/9940/79878621.021.090.310.447.308.10SIEMENS (Germany)930/10596/119956930.930.860.660.836.907.20SHARP (Japan)783/11544/125684611.381.180.780.785.105.60LG ELECTRONICS (Korea)676/12328/155753451.180.950.240.225.105.70TYCO INT’L (U.S.)560/13651/104194491.341.450.890.608.809.60GENERAL ELECTRIC (U.S.)559/14799/87088150.790.980.550.648.309.30MINOLTA (Japan)408/15195/183441811.181.080.050.036.806.40TOKYO ELECTRON (Japan)354/16180/20143942.481.910.220.076.305.20DAEWOO (Korea)349/17205/172811461.241.400.060.185.406.30BROTHER INDUSTRIES (Japan)335/18146/222681611.250.910.030.045.706.10MURATA MFG (Japan)325/19139/232521481.290.940.260.216.507.70RAYTHEON (U.S.)281/20344/142543341.111.030.480.917.907.70SANYO (Japan)281/21173/212451641.151.060.630.545.806.00TRIMBLE NAVIGATION (U.S.)274/22110/2476373.592.980.300.305.805.20YAMAHA (Japan)268/23181/192051491.311.210.240.225.005.50THOMSON (France)268/24246/162782800.960.880.670.627.207.30SemiconductorsMICRON TECHNOLOGY (U.S.)3470/1757/310473193.322.371.800.905.305.30ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES (U.S.)2376/2569/48142472.922.301.011.155.005.30INTEL (U.S.)2236/31163/17584102.952.840.970.845.204.90TEXAS INSTRUMENTS (U.S.)1013/4952/25905801.721.641.141.285.906.40LSI LOGIC (U.S.)961/5321/73341372.882.342.191.596.005.90SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LAB. (Japan)844/6112/12180854.681.312.371.395.606.50TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MFG (Taiwan)731/7196/9275912.652.150.120.224.504.00STMICROELECTRONICS (France)624/8382/54172961.501.290.930.986.506.30UNITED MICROELECTRONICS (Taiwan)516/9246/82491382.071.780.250.334.404.20NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR (U.S.)371/10338/61901961.951.721.131.595.605.80VANGUARD INT’L SEMICONDUCTOR (Taiwan)354/11101/13105393.372.570.240.264.303.60XILINX (U.S.)284/12160/1092483.093.340.671.285.305.00CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR (U.S.)257/1387/14113412.272.121.190.955.504.80WINBOND ELECTRONICS (Taiwan)235/1416/17110192.140.850.170.404.004.60ALTERA (U.S.)198/15116/1169302.893.882.022.196.905.90LAM RESEARCH (U.S.)154/1641/1554192.842.131.140.596.106.40TESSERA (U.S.)142/1727/1629114.922.470.690.518.208.00TelecommunicationsLUCENT TECHNOLOGIES (U.S.)2592/11473/211377592.281.941.241.965.405.30MOTOROLA (U.S.)2320/21978/1120710931.921.810.550.775.205.50ERICSSON TELEPHONE (Sweden)1758/3448/36352092.772.140.891.695.406.00AT&T (U.S.)1551/4291/4318694.884.221.181.104.404.90BCE (Canada)754/5230/72811252.681.840.941.144.804.90NOKIA (Finland)629/6175/102871232.191.420.560.515.005.60QUALCOMM (U.S.)541/7282/5106425.096.770.981.657.006.20MCI WORLDCOM (U.S.)445/8139/12128383.463.711.450.804.604.50ALCATEL (France)331/9274/62542561.301.070.941.136.606.50CABLETRON SYSTEMS (U.S.)271/1067/143597.677.331.413.354.504.80BELL ATLANTIC (U.S.)219/11165/1134376.404.420.681.856.205.90NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE (Japan)216/12195/81171131.841.731.572.094.805.20US WEST (U.S.)162/1351/1640164.073.131.191.175.404.60BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS (U.K.)119/1467/1477531.541.272.673.565.506.00ADC TELECOM (U.S.)109/1518/1932143.391.360.141.575.908.40BELLSOUTH (U.S.)108/1628/1824134.442.120.360.525.706.20SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL (U.S.)105/17177/924604.332.963.682.785.305.20SCIENTIFIC-ATLANTA (U.S.)92/1873/1329303.192.400.462.045.907.40KOKUSAI DENSHIN DENWA (Japan)84/1937/1745221.851.690.710.924.504.60

* – estimated from 47-week data
§ – average

Technological Strength:The number of U.S. patents multiplied by the Current Impact Index (see below).Number Of Patents:The total number of U.S. patents awarded, excluding design and other special-case inventions.Current Impact Index:Number of times a company’s patents for the previous five years are cited in the current year, relative to all patents in the U.S. system. A value of 1.0 indicates average citation frequency.Science Linkage:The average number of science references cited in a company’s U.S. patents.Technology Cycle Time:Median age in years of the U.S. patent references listed on a company’s patents.