The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has released a report detailing trends in patents for renewable energy technology.
The findings indicate that more Climate Change Mitigation Technology (CCMT) patents have been filed in the past five years than in the preceding 30 years.
11 June 2014: The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has released a report detailing trends in patents for renewable energy technology. The findings indicate that more Climate Change Mitigation Technology (CCMT) patents have been filed in the past five years than in the preceding 30 years.
The Global Challenges Report, titled ‘Renewable Energy Technology: Evolution and Policy Implications-Evidence from Patent Literature,’ is intended to keep policy makers abreast of developments in CCMTs. With the dynamic and fast-paced nature of technological change, WIPO intends the report to provide a current picture of where solar photovoltaic (PV), biofuels, solar thermal and wind energy stand to enable better policy making.
The report compares data from 1975-2005 with that from 2006-2011 for each CCMT analyzed. Overall trends exhibit a shift from West to East, with China and the Republic of Korea filing the most patents across the four CCMTs. Asia is also home to the top 20 solar PV technology owners.
Biofuel, solar thermal and solar PV patents have all become less concentrated, an indication of globalization and higher competition among players from more countries. Compared to other technologies, CCMT patents are experiencing robust growth; the global average growth rate in patent numbers for all technologies from 2006-2011 was 6%, compared to 24% for CCMTs. [WIPO Press Release] [Publication: Global Challenges Report: Renewable Energy Technology: Evolution and Policy Implications— Evidence from Patent Literature]