Global approaches to evaluation of intellectual assets in agriculture: Experience of leading countries in context of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Summary: The study aimed to analyse global approaches to the valuation of intellectual property assets in agricultural production and the adaptation to the conditions of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The methodology included a comparative analysis of the practices of the United States of America, Germany, Switzerland and the People’s Republic of China, as well as a detailed study of the activities of agricultural companies John Deere, Bayer CropScience, Syngenta, COFCO Group and Azersun Holding. Data from financial reports, analytics from the World Intellectual Property Organisation, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and calculations performed in IBM SPSS Statistics version 27 were used. The results demonstrated that the United States of America uses an income approach with a focus on patents and biotechnology, Germany uses a cost approach to value licences and trademarks, the People’s Republic of China uses a comparative approach to value digital platforms and artificial intelligence, and Switzerland uses a hybrid approach. The correlation analysis revealed a high correlation between investment in research and development (R&D) and the number of patents (r = 0.82), which confirmed the impact of investment on the accumulation of intellectual assets. Brand value showed the highest correlation with revenue (r = 0.96) and net profit (r = 0.94). The highest value of intellectual assets in 2024 was found in COFCO Group (USD 15.6 billion), which generated revenue of 130 billion USD. In Azerbaijan, Azersun Holding uses cost and comparative methods due to limited international patent protection and an underdeveloped licensing market. The findings confirmed the key role of intellectual assets and brand value in ensuring the financial sustainability of the agricultural sector