Sweden Maintains Global Leadership in Intangible Asset Investments
Sweden leads globally in intangible asset investments, representing 16% of its GDP in 2025.
Key Points
- • Sweden's intangible asset investments make up 16% of its GDP as of 2025.
- • Total investments exceeded $116 billion (over 1,200 billion SEK) in 2024.
- • Annual growth in intangible investments is at 4.3%, nearly double that of tangible investments.
- • Knowledge & skills constitute 29% of Sweden's intangible assets, with software and databases at 26%.
- • The WIPO report highlights significant areas of investment growth, including artificial intelligence.
Sweden continues to solidify its leading position in global investments in intangible assets, according to the 2025 "World Intangible Investment Highlights" report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Luiss Business School. At present, intangible investments constitute a significant 16% of Sweden's GDP, illustrating a substantial increase from nearly 12% in 1995, representing a steady commitment to enhancing the country's innovative capacity.
As of 2024, Sweden's total investments in intangible assets have soared beyond $116 billion (over 1,200 billion SEK). This growth trajectory is notable, with sensible average annual increases of 4.3% over the past decade, significantly outperforming tangible investments, which have grown at just 2.4% during the same period. The composition of these intangible assets reveals critical insights: knowledge and skills account for 29%, software and databases comprise 26%, while research and development make up 18% of the total.
Anna Jardfelt, the director general of the Swedish Patent and Registration Office (PRV), highlighted the essentiality of Sweden’s leading role in intangible assets as vital for sustaining the nation's long-term competitive edge. She emphasized the necessity for growing companies and academic institutions to have enhanced opportunities for scaling and for intangible assets to be valued and protected accordingly.
The WIPO report also sheds light on the broader landscape, providing updated data for 22 EU countries, the UK, and the USA, as well as new figures for emerging economies like India, Japan, and Brazil. Notably, the report points out that over 60% of all intangible investments remain unaccounted for in national statistics, indicating a significant gap in measuring their true economic impact. Furthermore, this year's edition introduced a special section focusing on the interconnections between artificial intelligence, intangible, and tangible investments.
As Sweden navigates this evolving economic landscape, the continued emphasis on supporting innovation through strategic investment in intangible assets signals a clear commitment to enhancing its global competitiveness and addressing future challenges. With these dimensions in focus, Sweden is well positioned to capitalize on its strong foundation in the knowledge economy, maintaining its status as a leader in intangible asset investments.