Since its founding, W.L. Gore has produced a constant stream of product innovations. ”They’ve defined new standards for comfort and protection for workwear and activewear (Gore-Tex); advanced the science of regenerating tissues destroyed by disease or traumatic injuries; developed next-generation materials for printed circuit boards and fiber optics; and pioneered new methods to detect and control environmental pollution.” Filing hundreds of patents annually as the basis of its products, Gore has been recognized many times for the innovativeness of what it manufactures. In 1997,the European Patent Office included a number of the firm’s products in an exhibit of product innovations shown at The Hague.