Düsseldorf, December 13, 2024 – Patent activities in the electricity grid sector have soared in recent years. A study published on December 10, 2024, by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) found that the number of international patent families (IPFs) in physical and smart grid infrastructure increased eightfold over the period from 2001 to 2022. For comparison, the figure barely doubled for all technologies as a whole.
According to the study, the greatest growth in the last ten years was seen by smart grid technologies. More IPFs were recorded here than for physical grid and storage technologies combined. The study reported an impressive trend in AI-related solutions in particular, with technologies in this field increasing sixfold since 2018. These are used, for example, to detect faults and predict demand and they help to improve supply management.
Globally, the EU and Japan have emerged as centers of innovation over the last ten years. Between 2011 and 2022, each generated more than one fifth of all IPFs in connection with electricity grids. China has ramped up its applications since 2019 and, with a share of 25 percent in 2022, for the first time overtook the EU.
Cohausz & Florack (C&F) believes that country-specific characteristics must also be taken into account to gain a better understanding of this development. “In China, for example, patent applications are often subsidized by the state,” says Gottfried Schüll, patent attorney and partner at C&F. Special circumstances also apply in Japan, where the number of patent applications is seen as an important indicator of a company’s success. “It’s not uncommon for several Japanese patents to be combined in one European patent.” These circumstances must be factored into the assessment of individual countries’ innovative strength. “However, the increase in patent activity in the electricity grid sector is impressive, no question – and an important sign that we are on the way to an energy transition,” continued Schüll.
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