Thales has once again been included in the list of the Top 100 most innovative global companies and research institutes published by Clarivate Analytics. Philippe Valéry, VP, Technical Operations, comments on this 2024 edition.

 

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Why is this recognition important for Thales?

Appearing for the eleventh time in this ranking  – and this year it is indeed a ranking and not just a list  –  is obviously a source of pride for Thales and, above all, for our teams of researchers and engineers. Note that around 3,500 people at Thales have at least one patent to their credit, which is also a source of satisfaction. 

This recognition reflects the vitality and quality of our research and innovation activities as well as the soundness of the strategy we are pursuing in this domain, based on collaboration and openness.

Twenty-one European and six French organisations appear in this 2024 list, and we are happy to be the French company with the longest ongoing series of citations in this Top 100.

What stands out for you in this 2024 edition?

The number of patents filed by Thales in 2023 increased (400 compared to less than 350 in 2022), but what is very significant is the nature of these patents and the technologies to which they relate. 

In the field of artificial intelligence, we have maintained our pace of around 40 first filings per year since 2019, which makes us the leading European filer in this sector in our ecosystem (aeronautics, space, security and defence).

The real change this year though is the increase in the number of our patents in the quantum technology sector, notably for captors, cryptography and quantum communications. Knowing the importance that these technologies will take on in the years to come, this growth is quite remarkable.