Although London is home to a quarter of all patents registered in the UK, it is the North East which generates the most innovation, new research reveals.
According to the report by the British Library, 25% of the 25,000 UK patents, trademarks and design rights between 2000 and 2009 were registered in London. But although the capital tops the table for pure numbers, North East England generates more per person, per pound invested in research and development (R&D) than any other region.
Receiving a quarter of the R&D investment of London, the North East generates proportionately the same number of patents, trademarks and design rights with just a third of the population of the capital, the study said. In real terms, businesses in the North East invest an average of £127,982 in R&D per patent, trademark or design right for the products they develop compared to London which spends £128,441.
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