Component 3 for Intellectual Property Rights, implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), announced the publication of the study "The Economic Contribution of Intellectual Property Rights Intensive Industries in Argentina", covering the period 2019-2024. This analysis is an update of the previous report on IP-intensive industries in Argentina (2014-2019), prepared in the framework of the IP Key LA project and published by EUIPO in 2021.
Contribution to employment and GDP
The study identifies 262 IPR-intensive industries in Argentina between 2019 and 2024, which directly employed 38.3 % of the country's formal workers, close to 3 million people in the public and private sectors. In terms of output, these industries generated 43.2 % of Argentina's GDP, with an annual average of 57.1 trillion pesos. Among them, trademark-intensive industries contributed 30.6 %, design-intensive industries 17.2 %, patent-intensive industries 14.8 %, copyright-intensive industries 10.4 %, plant variety rights-intensive industries 2.9 % and geographical indication-intensive industries 0.7 %.
Contribution to trade and wage premium
Between 2019 and 2024, IP-intensive industries accounted for 59.8 % of Argentina's exports and 61.8 % of its imports, generating a trade surplus of $3.6 billion. Brand-intensive sectors accounted for most of the trade, followed by patent industries, such as the manufacture of precious and non-ferrous metal products. Moreover, wages in these industries were on average 17.7 % higher than in non-IP intensive sectors, with the highest premium in copyrights (34.3 %), trademarks (28.6 %) and designs (15.7 %).
Comparison with the period 2014-2019
The updated results show a growth in the share of these industries in direct employment from 33.1 1FY5Q to 38.3 1FY5Q, representing almost half a million new formal jobs. Their contribution to GDP increased from 42.3 1FY5T to 43.2 1FY5T, while their share in imports increased from 57.5 1FY5T to 61.8 1FY5T, confirming the growing integration of these industries in global value chains and their economic relevance even in contexts of financial challenges.
Methodology and sources
The study uses the same methodology applied in the EU-wide analysis by the EUIPO and the EPO in 2022, ensuring comparability. It identifies IP-intensive industries in terms of employee use of patents, trademarks, designs, plant breeders' rights, copyrights and geographical indications, using data from the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), INASE, INDEC and other official sources. The results provide valuable information for policy makers, companies and stakeholders interested in harnessing intellectual property as an engine for economic growth and sustainable development, highlighting the potential of green technologies in Argentina.
The EUIPO has extensive experience in measuring the economic impact of IPR-intensive industries in the European Union. Its IPR Infringement Observatory regularly publishes studies to measure the economic impact of IPR-intensive industries in the EU since 2013. For more information on the latest study in this series published in 2022, see here: https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/publications/ipr-intensive-industries-and-economic-performance-in-the-european-union-industry-level-2022.
The full study is available here: