Global information services firm Clarivate has ranked Epson fifth in the Clarivate Top 100 Global Innovators 2024. This represents the 11th time that Clarivate has named Epson on the list since its inception in 2012.
Toshihiko Kobayashi, general administrative manager of Epson’s intellectual property division, says, “It is an honour to be selected as one of the Top 100 Global Innovators. In 2022, on the occasion of Epson’s 80th anniversary, we established our corporate purpose statement, which reads ‘Our philosophy of efficient, compact and precise innovation enriches lives and helps create a better world’, and have demonstrated this aspiration both inside and outside Epson.
“Based on our corporate purpose, we are evolving our approach to sustainability management, and aim to solve societal issues while achieving corporate growth. Intellectual property is one of the pillars of this sustainable management.
“Our proprietary technologies are protected by our intellectual property rights and support the foundation for our sustained efforts to address societal issues. The top priority of our IP activities is and will continue to be, finding ways to use Epson’s strengths to help solve issues.”
Assessment
Clarivate compares and analyses invention data from around the world, assesses the quality of patent ideas using indicators directly linked to innovativeness, and annually selects companies and organisations that are at the top of the global innovation ecosystem and continuously demonstrate outstanding innovation performance.
A twin track approach is used in evaluations. The first track focuses on identifying innovating companies and organisations based on the number of patent applications filed and patents held. Clarivate the calculates an international factor based on the rate and scale of international inventions. The second track scores them on four factors: influence, success, geographic investment, and rarity. Then it makes a comparison against all other patent ideas.