Introduction

Investment in intangible assets, such as data, software, brands, and other intellectual property-backed assets, grew at three times the pace of investments in physical assets, like factories and machinery, in 2024. This trend emerged from the second edition of the World Intangible Investment Highlights, co-published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and Italy’s LUISS Business School.

Key Findings

  • Global intangible investment reached US$7.6 trillion in 2024, up from US$7.4 trillion in 2023, representing approximately 3% real‑terms growth, while tangible investment remained essentially flat.
  • Since 2008, intangible investments have grown at a compound annual rate of around 4%, far outpacing the ~1% growth for tangible investments.
  • As of 2024, intangible assets comprised nearly 14% of global GDP, compared with tangible assets at roughly 11%.

Who’s Leading the Shift?

In absolute terms, the United States led global intangible investment, investing nearly twice as much as France, Germany, Japan, and the UK combined. Sweden remains the most intangible‑asset‑intensive economy, where such investments account for 16% of GDP. Close behind are the US, France, and Finland at about 15%. India (≈10%) and Brazil (≈8.5%) are also notable, with India growing fastest from 2011 to 2022 and Brazil recently posting significant year-on-year gains.

Software and Data Powering Growth

Software and databases were the fastest-growing intangible asset types, expanding at over 7% annually between 2013 and 2022-a trend closely tied to the AI boom. Brands and design also posted substantial gains: brand investment rose over 12%, and design over 10% between 2021 and 2022.

The AI Catalyst

WIPO attributes much of the recent surge to the AI-driven “dual-wave” investment pattern:

  • Capacity installation: Massive buildout of AI infrastructure-chips, data centres, cloud and server capacity.
  • Structural transformation: Businesses reorganising operations and reskilling staff to embed AI more deeply.

This trend extended beyond intangible assets; in the US, tangible investment grew over 4% between 2023 and 2024, reflecting AI-related infrastructure projects.

Why It Matters

  • Competitive edge: Companies thriving in today’s digital era rely less on physical assets and more on intangible capabilities-intellectual property, organisational know-how, brand strength, and skill capital.
  • Policy implications: Governments increasingly rely on Global INTAN-Invest, the WIPO–Luiss cross-country database, to inform innovation and competitiveness strategies. Until recently, over 60% of intangible investment went unrecorded in official statistics; this data helps close that gap.

Context & Collaboration: WIPO–Luiss Ongoing Partnership

The first edition of World Intangible Investment Highlights was released in June 2024, at the inaugural Global INTAN-Invest Conference in Rome, covering 26 countries representing over half of the world’s GDP.

The second Global INTAN-Invest Conference, held in May 2025, drew international participants and solidified the collaboration ahead of the latest report release in July 2025

Key Takeaways

  • Intangible assets now outpace tangible ones in growth, resilience, and share of global investment.
  • The AI-driven investment wave is reshaping capital allocation towards software, data, and IP-backed innovation.
  • Countries that measure and support intangible asset investment will be better poised for innovation-led growth in the modern economy.

The second edition of World Intangible Investment Highlights provides policymakers and business leaders with vital insights into an economy increasingly defined by the soft-yet supremely valuable-power of intangible capital.

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