Regarding innovation, as illustrated by the number of new patents, France is trying to keep its place among major nations, both Europe and the USA being seriously challenged by Asian countries.
- The number of patents, as registered by OMPI (the United Nations organization for patents and intellectual rights), illustrates that in 2010 the USA are still leading (#1, stable), China (#4) and South Korea (#5) are catching up very fast, globally Europe equals the USA, Germany (#3) is still progressing, France (#6) and UK (#7) are stable (See detailed figures).
- In France, the largest new patent owners are Thomson (a private technology corporation), CEA (Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique : the State organization for nuclear research), CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique : the State organization for scientific research : read more). In the world ranking, they rank between #34 and #60. Then come Renault and PSA (two French car-makers).
- It may be recalled that, before WW1, four countries owned over 95% of the patents of the world, with approximately one quarter each (USA, France, Germany and UK).
More about :
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The good side of the lack of discipline may be a certain ability to think "out of the box" (see my section on Franco-American differences in cultural values : discipline, procedures, organisation, ...).Many innovations were born in France but in fact, in several cases, the French inventor was not capable to develop successfully his own invention. Read "What if .... Bill Gates had been French?".
who invented/ discovered ?
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the answer is....
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and NOT ....
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| cinema |
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Louis
and Auguste Lumière (first film 28/12/1895) |
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Thomas
Edison |
| planes |
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Clément
Ader (first flight 9/10/1890) |
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Wilbur
Wright (1903) |
| photography |
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Nicéphore
Niepce (1826) |
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George
Eastman |
| sound recording |
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Edouard
Scott de Martinville (1860) |
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Thomas
Edison (1878) |
| HIV virus |
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Pr.Luc
Montagnier (1980s) who was awarded the Nobel
Prize in 2008 |
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Pr.Robert
Gallo who tried unsuccessfully to take the credit for himself |
| helicopter |
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Paul
Cornu (1907) |
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Igor
Sikorsky |
| optical
pumping (laser) |
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Alfred
Kastler (1949) (read more) |
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Theodore
Maiman |
| the worldwide
web |
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Centre
Européen de Recherche Nucléaire |
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Netscape
(read more) |
| personal computer |
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André Truong Micral N de R2E (Jan 1973) |
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Altair (1975) |
| sardine can |
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Nicolas Appert |
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Peter Duran |
| the smart
card |
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Roland
Moreno (1974) |
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Bill
Gates |
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