CHUV and HUG among Europe’s most innovative hospitals
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The university hospitals of the Swiss Health Valley confirm their scientific excellence, placing Switzerland among the select group of nations most dynamic in hospital research.
According to a recent study by the European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich, patent filings by European hospitals have tripled since the beginning of the millennium — a strong indicator of the vitality of clinical research on the continent. And in this field, Switzerland is excelling.
The Vaud University Hospital (CHUV) ranks among the ten most active institutions in Europe, at rank 9, with 356 patents filed over the last 20 years, just behind the Zurich University Hospital (USZ, 364 patents). The Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) also stand out, in 23rd place, with 181 patents – a remarkable performance for an institution committed to translational research and therapeutic innovation.
Swiss medical excellence in action
These results confirm the leading role played by Swiss hospitals in the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
At the CHUV, this dynamic is particularly evident in cutting-edge centres such as the Lundin Family Research Centre, dedicated to the study of brain tumours, or .Neurorestore, which integrates implantable neurotechnologies and innovative treatments for patients suffering from spinal cord injuries.
The HUG, for its part, combines clinical research, technological innovations and personalised medicine. Its work in the fields of genetics, neurosurgery and public health actively contributes to Switzerland’s reputation in the international biomedical field.
A nation of medical innovation
With 1,422 hospital patents filed over the past 20 years, Switzerland ranks among the top six European countries, just behind Denmark and Sweden, two other bastions of high-level research.
France tops the rankings (4,575 patents), partly thanks to the centralisation of the Assistance publique–Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), which brings together the research activities of several universities in the Paris region.
But considering the size of the country, Switzerland’s performance is impressive: agile hospital research, connected to universities and industry, makes Switzerland a laboratory for ideas and innovations with high medical value.
➡️ Read the study | 📸 ©CHUV