For the eighth year in row, the Group is ranked among the Top 3 French companies in terms of the number of patent applications published in France in 2018. Like last year, Safran is ranked third, behind the French automotive equipment manufacturer Valéo and the PSA Group, and ahead of the CEA research center and the car manufacturer Renault.
Safran is also the top-ranked group among the main French aeronautical companies in the ranking, ahead of Airbus and Thales ranked 8th and 10th respectively. The ranking highlights the ever-increasing need for big groups to align innovation policy and industrial property strategy, the first objective of patent filing being the protection of the competitive advantage generated by differentiating innovations.
Last January, Safran also featured among the 100 most innovative companies in the world for the eighth year in row, according to Clarivate Analytics. Safran’s consistent presence at the top of these rankings is both a source of pride and a key vector concerning the Group’s reputation and attractiveness.