The increase was partly due to robust activity in ICT related fields, with digital communication remaining as the top category (11.1%) of published PCT applications, while semiconductors recorded one of the fastest growth rates among all leading areas of international patents.

These trends reflect the continued rise in digital technologies as an engine of innovative activity and economic development, with the increasing investments in and deployment of Artificial Intelligence helping to fuel this growth.

International patent filings – particularly in digital communication and semiconductor technologies – reflects how digital technologies continue to drive the global innovation landscape.

“AI is the latest engine of this growth and will increasingly transform how we innovate. In this world of shortened innovation and business cycles, WIPO will work hard to ensure that our Global IP Services keeps pace with the changing expectations of our customers, making what we offer more efficient, more digital and more customer centered, so that entrepreneurs and enterprises can continue using the PCT, Madrid and Hague systems to secure IP protection across borders,” says Daren Tang, WIPO director general.

Other prominent fields include computer technology (9.6%), electrical machinery (9.0%), medical technology (6.3%) and pharmaceuticals (4.3%).

Together, these five fields represented just over 40% of all published PCT applications. Among the top 10 technology fields, digital communication (+6.1%) and semiconductors (+6.1%) saw the fastest growth rates in 2025.

In the international trademark system, the most specified class in international applications received under WIPO’s Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks covered computer hardware and software and other electrical or electronic apparatus, accounting for 10.8% of the 2025 total.

It was followed by the class covering business services (8.5%) and the one relating to scientific and technological services (7.9%).

And the largest share of total designs received under WIPO’s Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs was in recording and communication equipment (13.2%), closely followed by means of transport (8.0%) and packages and containers (7.9%).

According to the World Intellectual Property Report (WIPR) 2026, titled Technology on the Move, innovation is now diffusing across borders at historical heights, with digital tools reaching users in days rather than years.

However, the report, which draws on 250 years of data, warns that while the speed of diffusion has increased, the capability to turn those tools into economic growth remains unevenly distributed.

From Decades to Days: The New Pace of Tech

Historically, game-changing inventions like the automobile or the telegraph took decades to scale globally. Today, thanks to a hyper-connected digital economy, the adoption lag has effectively collapsed.

Real-time Diffusion: Digital technologies can now reach almost every country on earth within days of launch.

Vanishing Barriers: Patent citation analysis shows that international knowledge flows have doubled in speed over the last 50 years. By 2020, the time gap between domestic and international ideas had nearly disappeared.

Daren Tang, WIPO director general, noted that while the tools travel faster, the economic payoff isn’t automatic:

“Faster diffusion of technology… can enable economies to accelerate economic growth. But this will not happen by chance, it requires deliberate and coordinated investments in human and institutional capacities.”

The Four Pillars of Diffusion

Why do some technologies explode while others stall? The WIPR identifies four factors that determine if a country actually benefits from new tech:

1. Tech Characteristics: Modular, low-cost tools (like mobile apps) spread faster than high-capital systems (like power grids).
2. Information Flows: AI and digital platforms have slashed the cost of learning, allowing for rapid uptake.
3. Absorptive Capacity: This is the big one for Africa, the local muscle (education, R&D, and technical skills) required to adapt global tech to local needs.
4. Public Policy & IP: Regulatory frameworks and Intellectual Property (IP) systems act as the steering wheel for how broadly tech spreads.

Sector Spotlight: Agriculture, Green Tech, and Digital

The report took a deep dive into three critical sectors, revealing a “good news, bad news” scenario for emerging markets:

The Usage Paradox

In a surprising shift, the report finds that some parts of Asia are now using digital technologies more intensively than advanced economies in the West. This proves that the traditional “leader-follower” dynamic is breaking down.

However, innovation leadership (the actual inventing) remains highly concentrated in the US, Western Europe, Japan, and China.

The Takeaway

For tech ecosystems in regions like Nigeria and Kenya, the message is clear: Access is no longer the problem; absorption is.

Policymakers can no longer just wait for tech to arrive; they must build the institutional pipes, IP systems and modern infrastructure, to ensure that when innovation lands, it actually sticks.

As revealed by the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) latest Indicators report, the surge was driven by inventors in China, India, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the United States. 

China alone accounted for 1.8 million applications, while the US filed 501,831. India recorded a 19.1% increase in patent filings, continuing a six-year streak of double-digit growth in the global space.

Finland and Türkiye also posted strong increases, with filings growing 15.4% and 14.6% respectively.

“In today’s competitive, global economy, innovation is a key driver of growth with IP at the center of many business strategies – whether protecting and promoting breakthrough technologies, trusted brands or eye-catching designs. 

“The continued growth in IP filings also reflects strong confidence in the IP system and the efforts of governments, with WIPO’s support, to incentivize and strengthen innovation. Sustaining this trust requires ongoing global cooperation to ensure a robust and effective IP framework,” said Daren Tang, WIPO director general.

Globally, computer technology was the most patented field, representing 13.2% of applications in 2023, followed by electrical machinery (7.2%), measurement technologies (6.2%), digital communication (5.8%), and medical technologies (4.9%). 

Computer technology was the only field to experience double-digit growth over the past decade, rising 10.3% from 2013 to 2023.

Trademark applications, meanwhile, stabilised after a two-year slowdown, totaling 15.2 million classes in 2024, a marginal 0.1% decline from 2023. 

China led filings with 7.3 million classes, followed by the US (836,457), Russia (559,436), India (532,900), and Brazil (436,291). Growth was strongest in Brazil (+10.4%), India (+7.4%), and Russia (+2.9%), while China and the US saw slight declines.

Design filings also grew, reaching 1.6 million in 2024, up 2.2% from 2023. China topped global design applications with 906,849 filings, followed by Germany, the US, Italy, and South Korea. 

Among the top 20 countries, India (+44.9%), Morocco (+20.2%), and Indonesia (+18.9%) recorded the largest increases. 

The sectors generating the most design activity included furniture and household goods, textiles and accessories, tools and machines, ICT and audiovisual equipment, and electricity and lighting, which together accounted for nearly 63% of global filings.

Intellectual property is now a very important tool for economic growth, and the report on global patent filings, among other aspects, stresses this even more, driving innovation and brand development across multiple sectors worldwide.

The event, held recently in Lagos, brought together a diverse audience of innovators, entrepreneurs, creatives, students, government officials such as the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) the Nigerian Copyright Commission, and Bank of Industry, research institutes, academia and dignitaries from both local and international sectors.

The launch event featured welcome remarks from Mr. Oluwatobiloba Moody, director of the WIPO Nigeria Office and Mr. Kunihiko Fushimi, Director of the International Classifications and Standards Division and FIT/JP Global Manager at WIPO.

They both highlighted WIPO’s longstanding commitment to supporting innovation and creativity through IP in Nigeria, underscoring how intellectual property has been a cornerstone for innovation and economic growth in Africa for over 35 years.

During the event, Mr. Tunbosun Alake, Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science, and Technology, Ms. Lynda Alpheus, Director of the Lagos Office of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, and Mr. Oswald Guobadia, Former Senior Special Assistant to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Digital Transformation and current partner at DigitA, shared goodwill messages on the importance of IP. They emphasized their respective roles in protecting intellectual property rights, enabling creators to monetize their innovations, and underscoring IP as a critical asset for investment and economic development.

Mr. Nasir Yammama, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Innovation, Office of the Vice President delivered the keynote address, highlighting the need for IP frameworks to address climate change and other pressing global challenges.

He stressed that IP for Green Innovation is essential for creating sustainable solutions, particularly as Nigeria advances in renewable energy and technology sectors.

“The future belongs to creators,” Mr. Yammama said, emphasizing the importance of building a robust IP environment that not only protects but also empowers Nigerian entrepreneurs to innovate and grow. He called for IP education at all levels, noting that early awareness can lay a foundation for knowledge-based economic development.

Ms Olaronke Famuyiwa, program officer, WIPO Nigeria Office; Mr Bankole Oloruntoba, Team Lead at Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre; and Mr Ololade Otayemi, Founder of Orbra Company gave an overview of the projects and the implementation plans.

They stated that the IP for Green Innovation project aims to build the capacity of 100 green hardware innovators with the knowledge, strategies, and IP support required for successful business development and financing.

The IP Labs 2. 0 program, on other hand, will empower 300 innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups to harness the power of intellectual property as a business development and financing strategy.

A panel discussion explored “The Role of Intellectual Property in Building an Innovative Society for Nigeria,” featuring thought leaders from various industries. Moderated by Ms. Olaronke Famuyiwa, the panel included Mr Senator Ihenyen, Lead Partner, Infusion Lawyers, Mr Victor Boyle-Komolafe, Founder and CEO, GIVO, Mr Lanre Ogundipe Co-Founder and CEO, PaveHQ, Ms Shukurat Amosa, an Intellectual Property Officer, and Ms Tracy Okoro Isaac, Partner at DigitA.

The discussion centered on how effective IP protection encourages inventiveness, supports the commercialization of new ideas, and contributes to the development of a robust innovation ecosystem that can drive Nigeria’s economic and technological progress.

Panelists encouraged attendees to leverage the IP community for support, noting that collective knowledge and collaboration are vital for the sustainability of Nigerian innovation.

WIPO received the support of the Nest Technology Innovation Park, the Orbra Company, the Nigeria Climate Innovation Center in the organization of the event. The Nest played an instrumental role in curating the event, emphasizing its commitment to empowering Nigerian entrepreneurs and innovators. “At The Nest, we believe that intellectual property is crucial to any innovation ecosystem,” said Paradise Okoronkwo, Programs Lead from The Nest. “It’s the invisible force that protects ideas, whether it’s a groundbreaking tech solution or a creative work of art.

With the successful launch of two of WIPO’s projects, the IP Labs and the IP for Green Innovation, WIPO has set the stage for Nigerian innovators to transform their ideas into reality, protect their creations, and contribute to a sustainable future.

Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota, the President of the Diplomatic Conference, who is also Brazil’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization, brought down the gavel to mark consensus approval of the new WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge.

WIPO delegates at the May 13 – 24, 2024 final stage negotiations cheered and applauded the successful outcome.

This is the first WIPO Treaty to address the interface between intellectual property, genetic resources and traditional knowledge and the first WIPO Treaty to include provisions specifically for Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities.

The Treaty, once it enters into force with 15 contracting parties, will establish in international law a new disclosure requirement for patent applicants whose inventions are based on genetic resources and/or associated traditional knowledge. A signing ceremony is scheduled for later today.

Negotiations for this Treaty began at WIPO in 2001, initiated in 1999 with a proposal by Colombia, where discussions were notable for their inclusion of Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities.

WIPO Director General Daren Tang welcomed adoption of the Treaty and congratulated negotiators on the successful outcome of the Diplomatic Conference, noting:

“Today we made history in many ways. This is not just the first new WIPO Treaty in over a decade but also the first one that deals with genetic resources and traditional knowledge held by Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities. Through this, we are showing that the IP system can continue to incentivize innovation while evolving in a more inclusive way, responding to the needs of all countries and their communities.”

Mr. Tang added:

“This agreement by consensus is not just the culmination of a 25 year negotiating journey, but also a strong signal that multilateralism is alive and well at WIPO. I thank all of the negotiators, past and present, who worked tirelessly these last two weeks as well as in the past few decades to make history today.”

Ambassador Patriota called the new Treaty “a very carefully balanced outcome of this Diplomatic Conference. It constitutes the best possible compromise and a carefully calibrated solution, which seeks to bridge and to balance a variety of interests, some very passionately held and assiduously expressed and defended over the course of decades.”

“We’ve been waiting for this moment for 25 years,” said Ambassador Patriota.

What Does the Treaty Do?

• Broadly, where a claimed invention in a patent application is based on genetic resources, each contracting party shall require applicants to disclose the country of origin or source of the genetic resources.
• Where the claimed invention in a patent application is based on traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources, each contracting party shall require applicants to disclose the Indigenous Peoples or local community, as applicable, who provided the traditional knowledge.

What are Genetic Resources and associated Traditional Knowledge?

• Genetic resources are contained in, for example, medicinal plants, agricultural crops, and animal breeds. While genetic resources themselves cannot be directly protected as intellectual property, inventions developed using them can, most often through a patent.
• Some genetic resources are also associated with traditional knowledge through their use and conservation by Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities, often over generations.
• This knowledge is sometimes used in scientific research and, as such, may contribute to the development of a protected invention.

[Source] + [Featured Image Credit]

Gathered at a forum with the theme: ‘Intellectual Property and Development: Creative Ecosystem Conversation, held at Microsoft Office, Kings Tower, Ikoyi, Lagos, UNDP, WIPO and stakeholders listed the benefits of the creative sector to Nigeria’s economy and Africa at large.

They noted that there was need to build networks and partnerships to drive inclusion and diversity within the sector.

Presenting the keynote address at the forum, Edward Kwakwa, the Assistant Director General, Global Challenges and Partnership Sector for WIPO, emphasized the importance of a robust IP system in promoting creativity, innovation, and sustainable development.  

To ensure maximum impact is made, Kwakwa said there should be clear understanding of what and where the challenges lie, so that appropriate measures can be taken to tackle factors limiting the promotion of creativity and innovation.  

According to him, “Intellectual property is just as important and plays a pivotal role in developing and developed countries. That’s why we should strive to use a global intellectual property system to achieve results that will be in the interest of everyone, everywhere.”

On his part, Dr. Oluwatobiloba Moody, the Director of WIPO Nigeria, said there is need for collaborations and partnerships to drive growth and inclusion within Nigeria’s creative ecosystem.

At the panel session, with the conversation on Business Partnerships for Creative Enterprises and the importance of canvassing for a common front, panelists including Chin Okeke, Godwin Tom, ToluOlaloye, Beverley Agbakoba, Obi Asika, Dr. John Asein represented by Lynda Alpheus, Sasha P, and Obi Asika, stressed the need to have a common front in pushing a holistic agenda within the space where creative stakeholders come together to demand policies that protect and reward creators in Nigeria and on the African continent.

The UNDP delegation was led by Williams Tsuma, Head, United Nations Development Programme, Lagos and present were special guest like Mr. Tunbosun Alake,  the Special Adviser to the Lagos State government on Innovation and Technology, Col. Felix OrevogheneAlaita, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Country Risk Assessment and Evaluation)  and other notable industry leaders. They stressed the importance of creative stakeholders in building relationships with their local representatives in government to tackle challenges head-on.

They also emphasized the role of international agencies in supporting the creative sector towards realizing the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and foster a beneficial economy for all players.

The innovation hub in partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) launched a Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) in Yaba, Lagos, where it’s domiciled. The partnership has been described by many stakeholders who graced the event as a move to foster innovation in the country.

Intellectual Property is protected in law by, for example, patents, copyright, and trademarks, which enable people to earn recognition or financial benefit from what they invent or create.

With the TISC launch startups, and innovators in Nigeria will have access to locally-based, high-quality technology information and related services, helping them to exploit their innovative potential and to create, protect, and manage their Intellectual Property (IP) rights.

Speaking with TechEconomy, Peter Ogedengbe, Cofounder, The Nest, said they are very much concerned about the protection of Intellectual Property, encouraging innovators to register for patents, copyrights, and trademarks.

At Nest, we are excited about the partnership and recognition we have had from the World Intellectual Property Organization as the center for ensuring that people start registering for these services.

The goal, according to Ogedengbe, is to spread the message to various players in different sectors about how important it is to have ideas patented, trademarks, and copyrights. 

“We have been helping startups from inception, we are looking forward to letting them know through our various programs about this protecting and managing their ideas and how it will help them.”

Intellectual Property refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; symbols, names, and images used in commerce.

Without the protection of ideas, businesses and individuals would not reap the full benefits of their inventions and would focus less on research and development.   

“The Nest will provide startups with the required support they need in developing and launching their products,” Ayokunle Adetula, Senior Associate at a law firm in Lagos, told TechEconomy.

He said due to the intangible nature of Intellectual Property, businesses or individuals should have them protected and The Nest will always be at their service.

“Before any business starts exploiting you, you must lay the foundation, and the foundation deals with patents, trademarks, copyrights.” By the time you have them, then you can begin to exploit,” he added. Oluwajoba Oloba, Cofounder, The Nest, said the TISC center would help Nigerian startups and entrepreneurs to make use of the best technology tools and resources to scale up their businesses.  

“If a startup is developing a solution that will address specific challenges, the startup needs to know if other startups have already developed that solution and whether such product has been registered and patented within the tech ecosystem. These are some of the advantages that people will get if they are registered with TISC in Nigeria,” Oloba said.

The Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) would also involve offering other services such as access to online patent and non-patent (scientific and technical) resources and IP-related publications; assistance in searching and retrieving technology information; training in a database search; on-demand searches (novelty, state-of-the-art, and infringement); monitoring technology and competitors; basic information on industrial property laws, management and strategy, and technology commercialization and marketing.

International patent applications filed via the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) owned by WIPO, a widely used metric for measuring innovative activity, grew by 0.9% in 2021 to reach 277,500 applications – the highest-ever level.  Asia manifested its lead as the largest origin of international patent applications, accounting for 54.1% of all applications in 2021, up from 38.5% in 2011.

WIPO’s global trademark (Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks) and design (Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs) filing systems, used to protect and promote brands and the look and feel of products like mobile phones, each notched double-digit growth to mark new records as did WIPO’s anti-cybersquatting and arbitration and mediation activities.

“These figures show that human ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit remain strong despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic.” said Daren Tang, WIPO director general.

“WIPO’s global IP services help local enterprises go global by making it easier and cheaper to promote their businesses overseas. Although COVID-19 related restrictions have kept humans and families apart, it cannot stop the worldwide movement of fresh ideas, innovative products and new services,” the DG said.

IP filing activity has grown during the global pandemic, even during the 2020 drop in worldwide economic growth. Innovative activity and globalised operations are increasingly central to many enterprises and are long-term commitments.

Madrid System trademark filings, which reflect new business starts and creation of brands, declined at the height of the pandemic in 2020 but rebounded in 2021 with strong growth in filings originating from France, Germany, the U.K. and the U.S.

The strong uptake of international trademarks during 2021 shows how companies seized opportunities for introducing new goods and services as consumer demands shifted and the digitalization of economies accelerated amid the pandemic.