Switzerland is the country in the world that registers most patents.  With 1'152 patents in force per 100'000 inhabitants, Switzerland has been able to maintain its leading place as opposed to other countries.

Apart from the undeniable know-how, when it comes to patents, trademarks and copyrights, the commercial companies can, at a national level, count on several technology transfers and innovation support programmes (cantonal universities,  EPFL, four research institutes of the EPFL field, and universities of applied sciences, among others). These programmes mainly aim to reinforce communication and collaboration among laboratories and enterprises, in order to let the results of research and the scientific potentials of advanced schools be passed on to the applied side.