DuPont had a record-breaking year with 910 new U.S. patents granted in 2011, an increase of 32% over last year. That breaks the previous record set in 1966 when the company was awarded 780 U.S. patents.
"DuPont is focusing its science powerhouse to meet customers' and market needs in food, energy and protection," said DuPont Chief Science & Technology Officer Doug Muzyka. "For the second year in a row, the combination of U.S. patent grants and applications were the highest in DuPont history. Our U.S. grants are up 125% over the past 10 years, a sign of the continued quality and novelty of DuPont science. It is all made possible by the excellent collaborative work among our scientists, expert patent team and our marketing teams."
DuPont patent filings in 2011 mirrored the company's R&D investment and the pursuit of more nutritious and healthier food, reducing global dependence on fossil fuels and protecting people and the environment.
Patents enable growth through new products introduced into the marketplace. They help DuPont businesses to deliver new solutions to their customers. Last year, revenue from new products introduced in the last four years (2008-2011) was more than $10.6 billion, a 10% increase over the prior year.
"The differentiated products and applications developed by our scientists around the world drive business value and sustainable growth," Doug said. "New products fuel market-share gain, open adjacent markets and enhance profitability both for DuPont and for our customers."
Last month, the Patent Board™ ranked DuPont as the No. 1 innovator in the chemical industry for the fifth consecutive year in its Patent Scorecard. The Patent Board ranks corporate innovation using a series of measures to determine patent quality, technological strength and breadth of impact. DuPont leads all ranked companies in three categories, and surpasses the competition 10 times over in "Science Strength™," a measure of how much a company uses science in building its patent portfolio.
"DuPont's ability to use a broad set of core technologies allows us to advance the science while we create unique solutions that help our customers solve tough problems in today's marketplace," Doug added.
