EUIPO publishes updated study on the contribution of IPR-intensive industries to the Argentine economy (2019-2024)
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) announces the publication of the study on ‘The economic contribution of Intellectual Property Rights intensive industries in Argentina’ covering the period 2019 to 2024. This study was conducted in the context of the EU-funded project AL-INVEST Verde IPR and represents an updated version of the report on intellectual property rights (IPR)-intensive industries in Argentina covering the 2014-2019 period that was carried out by the EUIPO under the IP Key LA project and released in 2021.
Contribution to employment and GDP
The study finds that Argentina’s 262 industries identified as IPR-intensive between 2019 and 2024 made a significant contribution to the economy, directly employing 38.3 % of all formal wage earners—just under 3 million workers—across both the public and private sectors. In terms of output, measured by gross domestic product (GDP), IPR-intensive industries generated 43.2 % of Argentina’s GDP in the same period, equivalent to an annual average of AR$ 57.1 trillion. Trade mark-intensive industries contributed 30.6 %, design-intensive 17.2 %, patent-intensive 14.8 %, copyright-intensive 10.4 %, plant variety rights (PVR) intensive 2.9 %, and geographical indication (GI) intensive 0.7 %.
Contribution to trade and wage premium
IPR-intensive industries accounted for 59.8 % of Argentina’s total exports and 61.8 % of imports between 2019 and 2024, generating a trade surplus of USD 3.6 billion. In contrast, the economy overall recorded a trade surplus of USD 8.7 billion in the same period. Trade mark-intensive industries were responsible for the majority of trade flows, both for exports and imports, with vegetable oil processing and crude petroleum extraction in the first and third position. Manufacture of primary products of precious metals and non-ferrous metals has the first position for patent-intensive sectors. On average, wages in IPR-intensive industries were 17.7 % higher than in non-IPR-intensive sectors. The highest premium was observed in PVR-intensive industries (34.3 %), followed by trade mark-intensive (28.6 %) and design-intensive (15.7 %) industries.
Comparing 2019-2022 results against 2014-2019 results
The updated results show notable positive trends in the contribution of IPR-intensive industries to Argentina’s economy. Their share of direct employment grew from 33.1 % in 2014–2019 to 38.3 % in 2019–2024, adding nearly half a million formal jobs. Their contribution to GDP also rose from 42.3 % to 43.2 %, reinforcing their role as a key driver of economic output. In trade, IPR-intensive industries maintained a dominant position, with their share of imports increasing from 57.5 % to 61.8 %, underscoring their strong integration into global value chains. These results highlight the resilience and expanding economic relevance of IPR-intensive sectors in Argentina, even during a period marked by significant economic challenges.
Methodology
The study applies the same methodology as the EUIPO–EPO’s 2022 EU-level analysis, ensuring maximum comparability. It identifies industries as IPR-intensive based on above-average use of patents, trade marks, designs, PVRs, copyright, or GIs per employee, using official data from the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), the National Seed Institute (INASE), the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC), and other official sources.
The updated findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, businesses, and stakeholders aiming to leverage intellectual property to promote economic growth and sustainable development in Argentina, underlining the economic potential of green technologies in the national context.
The full updated study is available here:
The EUIPO has vast experience measuring the economic impact of IPR-intensive industries in the European Union. Its Observatory on Infringements of IP rights periodically published studies to measure the economic impact of IPR-intensive industries in the EU since 2013. For more information about 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.