Finnish companies' patent applications were down for the second consecutive year in 2022, according to the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH).
Firms filed a total of 1,361 patent applications last year, down from 1,588 in 2020.
Fluctuations in patenting frequency have, however, been typical over the past decade. In 2022, North Savo, North Karelia, Kanta-Häme and the Åland Islands recorded the most incoming patent applications.
Network company Nokia and the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have recently topped patent application lists. In 2021, the firms busiest with patent applications were primarily state-owned.
Finland's economy is set to slide into a recession this year, according to the Bank of Finland, which has suggested that real GDP will contract by 0.5 percent in response to the energy crisis exacerbated by Russia's war in Ukraine and the surge in the cost of living.
The central bank has, however, noted that the recession will be fairly short-lived, with growth expected to rebound to around one percent in 2024.
