Top 100 Companies Identified by LexisNexis Intellectual Property Solutions Based on Quantifiable Improvement in Patent Portfolios

New York, NY – March 4, 2026 – LexisNexis^® Legal & Professional today announced the “Top 100 Global Innovators” for 2026, the companies around the world that are driving innovation in the global economy, based on quantifiable improvement in the patent portfolios held by those companies over the last two years. Representing 18 countries, the top 100 companies were identified through an analysis by LexisNexis^® Intellectual Property Solutions using its proven Patent Asset Index methodology across its database of more than 17 million global patent families.

“Innovation can sometimes feel like an abstract concept that is hard to measure and even harder to improve. Happily, patent analytics can provide a relevant and impactful gauge for evaluating innovation from companies across all industries, technologies, and sizes,” said Marco Richter, Managing Director and Chief Commercial Officer for LexisNexis Intellectual Property Solutions. “LexisNexis^® Patent Asset Index provides an objective apples-to-apples framework for analyzing innovation leadership based on changes in the strength of each company’s patent assets. This goes beyond simply counting patents. The Top 100 Global Innovators have showcased true leadership by advancing the world’s knowledge and developing technologies and services that help shape a better future.”

Key Insights:

Semiconductors Take the Lead: Having dominated the 2025 ranking by company count, pharmaceuticals cede the top position this year to the semiconductor industry, which leads with 14 honorees. Pharmaceuticals now rank second with 13 companies, followed by Chemicals and Materials with 12 entrants.

Innovators Span the Globe: For the fifth consecutive year, US-based companies dominated the Top 100 Global Innovators with 46 honorees. US-based companies on the list excel in Pharmaceuticals and Medical Technology, while Asia dominates representation in Chemicals and Materials. Notably, within the Asian region there is balanced representation from China, Korea, and Japan, each represented by seven companies. EMEA scores highest in the Automotive sector with strong representation from Germany.

Top 100 Global Innovators by Industry Sector

Industries	Americas	Asia	EMEA	Grand Total
Semiconductors	6	5	3	14
Pharmaceuticals	10	–	3	13
Chemicals and Materials	1	6	5	12
Consumer Goods	4	4	3	11
Information Technologies	6	2	3	11
Engineering	4	1	5	10
Medical Technologies	7	–	–	7
Technology R&D	5	1	–	6
Automotive	–	1	5	6
Electronics	2	4	–	6
Biotechnologies	2	–	–	2
Appliances	–	1	–	1
Conglomerates	–	1	–	1
Grand Total	47	26	27	100

New Entrants Range from Startups to Industry Giants: The report introduces 21 new entrants to the list, reflecting the increasingly global and cross-sector nature of breakthrough innovation. From small companies to global conglomerates, those new companies include innovators such as Adeia and Flagship Pioneering (US), Airbus and Safran (EMEA), and Fujitsu and LONGi Green Energy (Asia), illustrating the breadth of momentum, as they span advanced engineering, next-generation electronics, clean energy technologies, and life sciences.

Intellectual Property Drives Corporate Strategy: The report emphasizes the importance of high-quality, impactful patent portfolios in driving competitive advantage and revenue. For example, IBM reflects a value-driven approach, while Adeia focuses on acquiring strategic portfolios for targeted growth, and Huawei and InterDigital demonstrate how strong portfolios underpin sustainable licensing revenue.

Smaller Companies Demonstrate Value of Patent Assets: Smaller, specialist players such as Acuitas Therapeutics, Strong Force IP, Ofinno, and Magic Leap illustrate how focused capabilities and high-value IP can create outsized strategic relevance. This dynamic is reinforced by the combination of two companies on this year’s Top 100 list, as Eli Lilly acquired venture-backed Orna Therapeutics in February.

US and China Dominate Academic Arena: The academic innovation leaders are mostly made up of US and Chinese institutions, highlighting their central role in high-impact research. The United States features leading research institutions such as the Broad Institute, MIT, Harvard, and the University of California, while China shows strong depth across multiple universities and research labs. Europe is solely represented by Germ...

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