Singapore is amongst the global leaders in innovation, with companies constantly pushing boundaries and developing new technologies. Here, we explore the top 100 companies in Singapore, ranked by the number of patents published for the year 2023.
| Rank | Companies | Patent Count | HQ Country | Sector |
| 1 | Huawei | 247 | China | Information and Communications Technology (ICT) |
| 2 | Applied Materials | 222 | USA | Semiconductors |
| 3 | Advanced New Tech | 180 | USA | Software Development |
| 4 | Samsung Electronics | 135 | South Korea | Consumer Electronics |
| 5 | Disco | 132 | Japan | Human Resources |
| 6 | Visa | 129 | USA | Digital Payments |
| 7 | Regeneron Pharmaceuticals | 124 | USA | Biotechnology |
| 8 | Apple | 116 | USA | Consumer Electronics |
| 9 | Illumina | 108 | USA | Biotechnology |
| 10 | Tencent | 102 | China | Conglomerate |
| 11 | Alipay (Hangzhou) Information Tech | 95 | China | Mobile Payments |
| 12 | Qualcomm | 95 | USA | Semiconductors |
| 13 | Xiaomi | 92 | China | Consumer Electronics |
| 14 | IBM | 88 | USA | Information and Communications Technology (ICT) |
| 15 | Panasonic | 80 | Japan | Electronics |
| 16 | Dow | 78 | USA | Chemical Manufacturing |
| 17 | Evonik | 78 | Germany | Chemical Manufacturing |
| 18 | Sk Jewelry | 76 | South Korea | Jewellery |
| 19 | Exxonmobil | 74 | USA | Oil & Gas |
| 20 | Merck Patent Gmbh | 73 | Germany | Pharmaceuticals |
| 21 | Ebara | 72 | Japan | Machinery Manufacturing |
| 22 | Becton Dickinson | 71 | USA | Medical Device Manufacturing |
| 23 | Roche | 70 | Switzerland | Pharmaceuticals |
| 24 | Toshiba | 63 | Electronics | |
| 25 | Grab | 62 | Singapore | Transportation |
| 26 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | 62 | Japan | Heavy Machinery |
| 27 | Amgen | 60 | USA | Biotechnology |
| 28 | Oppo | 59 | China | Consumer Electronics |
| 29 | Love & Co | 59 | Singapore | Jewellery |
| 30 | Edwards Lifesciences | 50 | USA | Medical Technology |
| 31 | Razer | 48 | Singapore | Consumer Electronics |
| 32 | Beijing Zitiao Network Tech | 47 | China | Internet and Technology |
| 33 | Kokusai Denki | 47 | Japan | Semiconductors |
| 34 | Universal City Studios | 46 | USA | Film Production |
| 35 | Halliburton | 45 | USA | Oil & Gas |
| 36 | Pfizer | 44 | USA | Pharmaceuticals |
| 37 | Bristol Myers Squibb | 44 | USA | Pharmaceuticals |
| 38 | Lam Research | 44 | USA | Semiconductors |
| 39 | KLA | 43 | USA | Semiconductors |
| 40 | Suntory | 43 | Japan | Beverages |
| 41 | Resonac | 42 | Japan | Chemical Manufacturing |
| 42 | Daikin | 42 | Japan | Conglomerate |
| 43 | Shinkawa | 41 | Japan | Consumer Electronics |
| 44 | Novartis | 40 | Switzerland | Pharmaceuticals |
| 45 | Inventio | 40 | USA | Business Consulting and Services |
| 46 | Genentech | 39 | USA | Biotechnology |
| 47 | Daiwa Seiko | 39 | Japan | Sports Manufacturing |
| 48 | Vivo | 39 | China | Consumers Electronics |
| 49 | Gaztransport & Technigaz | 37 | France | Naval Engineering |
| 50 | Versum Materials | 37 | USA | Chemical Manufacturing |
| 51 | Chevron | 37 | USA | Oil & Gas |
| 52 | BASF | 36 | Germany | Chemical Manufacturing |
| 53 | Soitec | 34 | France | Semiconductors |
| 54 | Deka Products | 34 | USA | Consumer Products |
| 55 | Changxin Memory Technologies | 34 | China | Semiconductors |
| 56 | Genzyme | 33 | USA | Biotechnology |
| 57 | Givaudan | 33 | Switzerland | Flavors & Fragrances |
| 58 | Tokyo Electron | 33 | Japan | Electronics |
| 59 | China Petrochemical | 32 | China | Oil & Gas |
| 60 | Abiomed | 32 | USA | Medical Device Manufacturing |
| 61 | Eli Lilly | 32 | USA | Pharmaceuticals |
| 62 | Illumina Cambridge | 31 | United Kingdom | Biotechnology |
| 63 | Mastercard | 31 | USA | Financial Services |
| 64 | AstraZeneca | 31 | United Kingdom | Pharmaceuticals |
| 65 | BYD | 30 | China | Automotive & Electronics |
| 66 | Hoya | 30 | Japan | Optics & Electronics |
| 67 | Sintre Tech (Singapore) | 30 | Singapore | Consumer Electronics |
| 68 | Siltronic | 29 | Germany | Semiconductors |
| 69 | Louis Vuitton | 29 | France | Luxury Goods |
| 70 | Mitsubishi Electric | 28 | Japan | Consumer Electronics |
| 71 | Phoenix Industries | 28 | Taiwan | Alloy Manufacturing |
| 72 | Millipore | 27 | USA | Healthcare & Life Science |
| 73 | 10x Genomics | 27 | USA | Biotechnology |
| 74 | Air Liquide | 27 | France | Industrial Gases Supplier |
| 75 | Nippon Steel | 27 | Japan | Steel Manufacturing |
| 76 | Alcon | 27 | USA | Medical Device Manufacturing |
| 77 | Shell | 26 | Netherlands | Oil & Gas |
| 78 | Denka | 26 | Japan | Chemical Manufacturing |
| 79 | Nokia | 26 | Finland | Telecommunications |
| 80 | Murata Machinery | 26 | Japan | Heavy Machinery |
| 81 | Douyin Vision | 26 | China | Video Hosting Service |
| 82 | Life Tech | 26 | USA | Biotechnology |
| 83 | Boehringer Ingelheim | 25 | Germany | Pharmaceuticals |
| 84 | Univation Tech | 25 | USA | Chemical Manufacturing |
| 85 | GlobalWafers | 25 | Taiwan | Electronics |
| 86 | JFE Steel | 24 | Japan | Steel Manufacturing |
| 87 | Chevron Oronite | 24 | USA | Chemical Manufacturing |
| 88 | ZTE | 24 | China | Telecommunications |
| 89 | Canon | 24 | Japan | Imaging & Electronics |
| 90 | 24 | USA | Internet and Technology | |
| 91 | Nestlé | 24 | Switzerland | Food & Beverage |
| 92 | China Mobile | 23 | China | Telecommunications |
| 93 | Beijing Naura Microelectronics Equipment | 23 | China | Semiconductors |
| 94 | Int Security Tech Shenzhen | 23 | China | Security Solutions Provider |
| 95 | Toyota | 23 | Japan | Automotive |
| 96 | Fisher & Paykel | 23 | Netherlands | Home Appliance Manufacturing |
| 97 | Hitachi | 22 | Japan | Conglomerate |
| 98 | Takeda Pharma | 22 | Japan | Pharmaceuticals |
| 99 | Microsoft | 22 | USA | Software Development |
| 100 | Chugai Pharma | 22 | Japan | Pharmaceuticals |
Key Findings:
The list top 100 companies filing most patents in Singapore reveals the diverse innovation landscape in the country;
Technological Dominance: Companies like Huawei (ranked 1st), Samsung Electronics (ranked 4th) and Apple (ranked 8th) in the top 10 companies with high patent counts, highlights Singapore’s strong focus on electronics and technology innovation.
Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals: Presence of companies like Regeneron (ranked 7th), Illumina (ranked 9th), Merck (ranked 20th), Roche (ranked 23rd) Pfizer (ranked 36th) and Novartis (ranked 44th) amongst top 50 companies demonstrate significant investment in healthcare and biotechnological research.
FinTech Innovation: Visa (ranked 6th) and Mastercard (ranked 63rd) underline the growth of financial technology, aligning with Singapore’s status as a financial hub.
Energy Innovation: Companies like ExxonMobil (ranked 19th), Halliburton (ranked 35th), Chevron (ranked 51st) and China Petrochemical (ranked 59th) indicate ongoing innovations in sustainability and efficiency within the sector.
Insights & Takeaways:
- Technological landscape in Singapore is shaped by external multinational corporations bringing global perspectives and investments into local innovation ecosystem.
- Presence of specific companies like Grab and Razer highlights unique regional strengths.
- Grab (ranked 25th) begun as a ride-hailing service has expanded into financial services reflecting innovation in business model adaptation.
- Razer (ranked 31st) with the gaming technology patents signifies niche innovation catering to specific consumer segments.
This data reflects Singapore’s commitment to nurturing a dynamic environment for technology and innovation, emphasizing its strategic importance in global innovation networks. As these companies drive advancements across sectors like fintech, biotech, and more, Singapore continues to strengthen its position as a leader in transforming ideas into protected, impactful technologies.