Information Technology
Patent Index 2024: R. Korea Secures Top 5 Spot for Second Consecutive Year, Proving Its Strength in Innovation
For the second consecutive year, R. Korea ranked fifth country of origin with 13 107 patent applications filed at the EPO from Korean innovators, accounting for 6.6% of all applications filed. The United States topped the list, followed by Germany , Japan , P.R. China , and R. Korea. Notably, Korea recorded the highest growth rate among the top 10 countries, with a 4.2% year-on-year increase. In contrast, P.R. China saw a modest increase of 0.5%, while the U.S. (-0.8%) and Japan (-2.4%) saw declines Patent applications from EPO member states grew 0.3%, and accounted for 43% of total filings. The remaining 57% came from non-European countries.
Samsung emerged as the top patent applicant in 2024, reclaiming the No. 1 position for the first time since 2020, surpassing Huawei. LG secured third place, while Qualcomm and RTX followed in fourth and fifth place, respectively. Among the top 10 patent applicants, two were Korean companies (Samsung at No. 1 and LG at No. 3), alongside four European companies, two U.S. companies, and one each from China and Japan . (See also "Top applicants from R. Korea in 2024")
For the first time, computer technology emerged as the top sector for patent applications at the EPO overall, with 16,815 filings in 2024. This was spurred by strong growth in AI-related technologies such as machine learning and pattern recognition. Computer technology was also R. of Korea's third largest field for European patent applications. Among the top 10 sectors at the EPO the one with the highest growth rate was electrical machinery, apparatus, and energy, up 8.9% year-on-year, driven primarily by advancements in clean energy, particularly the sub-field of battery technology (+28.0%). Electrical machinery was also R.Korea's most active field, and thanks to strong growth (+15.8%), R. Korea became the leading country of origin in 2024. The country also had three companies among the top 10 patent applicants for battery-related technologies: LG in 1st place, Samsung 3rd, and SK in 7th. Meanwhile, the digital communications sector, which encompasses mobile network technologies, declined overall at the EPO by 6.3%. It remained R. Korea's second most important technology field and saw modest growth.
said EPO President António Campinos.
The Unitary Patent system, launched in 2023, continues to gain momentum, offering innovators from around the world simpler and more accessible patent protection across 18 EU Member States with a single request to the EPO. Unitary protection was requested for 25.6% of all European patents granted by the EPO in 2024 totalling over 28 000 requests.
Patentees from EPO member states had the highest uptake rate, with 36.5% of their European patents transformed into Unitary Patents, followed by those from Republic of Korea (18.9%, up from 9.7% in 2023), China (17.9%), the US (16.0%), and Japan (7.9%). The top Unitary Patent requestors in 2024 were Johnson & Johnson, Siemens, Samsung, Qualcomm, and Volvo Group.
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With 6 300 staff members, the European Patent Office (EPO) is one of the largest public service institutions in Europe . Headquartered in Munich with offices in Berlin , Brussels , The Hague and Vienna , the EPO was founded with the aim of strengthening co-operation on patents in Europe . Through the EPO's centralised patent granting procedure, inventors are able to obtain high-quality patent protection in up to 45 countries, covering a market of some 700 million people. The EPO is also the world's leading authority in patent information and patent searching.
View original content: https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/patent-index-2024-r-korea-secures-top-5-spot-for-second-consecutive-year-proving-its-strength-in-innovation-302414570.html