Signal Intangibles outgrow physical investment while going uncommercialised

Summary

The source of value creation is moving from classic intellectual property such as patents, trademarks and copyrights towards other intangibles, including data, algorithms and know-how. For most large companies, intangible assets are now worth more than their tangible ones. Even so, 94% of those companies have no formal process for turning these intangibles into revenue. Annual investment in intangibles has grown two and a half times faster than physical investment over the decade from 2015 to 2025, reaching $10 trillion. Sweden leads, with intangible investment equal to 17.5% of GDP, which highlights how much value remains uncaptured elsewhere.