«Digital competitiveness from a global perspective»

As a cross-sectional technology, digitalisation drives the transformation of other technologies and leads to new products and processes in these technologies. This means that future technological performance depends heavily on whether the digitalisation of these application technologies succeeds. the digitalisation of these application technologies succeeds. This study analyses the world-class patents at the intersection between the 90 most important application technologies and 21 advanced digital technologies. The advanced digital technologies include artificial intelligence, digital twin, cybersecurity, semiconductors, quantum computing and process automation. The application technologies come from 9 technology areas: Health, Mobility, Energy, Industry, Biotechnology, Food, Aerospace, Materials and Nanotechnologies.

The majority of world-class digital patents are held by the USA (49’000) and China (28’000), followed by Japan (13’000), South Korea (6’000) and Germany (4’400). The EU as a whole accounts for 10’000 world class patents. The USA and China dominate with a good 80 per cent of world class patents. More than every second advanced digital world class patent was (co-)developed in the USA. China is very dynamic and has more than doubled its digital world class patents in the last three years and is already above the cumulative world class patents of Japan, the EU and South Korea.

The study was commissioned by the Bavarian Industry Association (vbw). It is available in German.

The study was presented at the Ludwig Erhard Summit on 17 April. A YouTube video of the presentation is available. Subtitles in English can be displayed there.