Trend comparison between invention patent applications of Taiwan and WIPO PCT applications in 2021

　Taiwan IPO had received a total of 49,116 invention patent applications throughout 2021, a new height since 2014, while an estimated 277,500 international patent applications (namely, PCT applications) had been filed under WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), which attains an all-time high ever.  Among the invention patent applications filed at Taiwan IPO, the field of semiconductors had the most applications, namely 6,360 applications, followed by the field of computer technology with 4,283 applications.  In contrast, in terms of the PCT applications filed at WIPO, the field of semiconductors ranked 10th with 8,346 applications, while computer technology is the top technology field with a total of 26,092 applications.  Such a contrast reveals that in Taiwan, technological superiority lies in the field of semiconductors.  As to applicants, TSMC occupied the first spot to be the top applicant that filed the most invention patent applications in Taiwan, while Huawei took the first spot in WIPO PCT applications.  Moreover, Qualcomm and Samsung Electronics were named the top 10 applicants both in Taiwan and WIPO PCT applications.

1.  Number of invention patent applications bounced in Taiwan while the growth of WIPO PCT applications slowed down 

　The burst of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a plunge in non-resident filings and further led to the decline in the overall invention patent filings in Taiwan in 2020.  In 2021, the overall invention patent filings rebounded to attain an increase of 5.3%.  On the other hand, WIPO PCT applications still grew by 3.6% in 2020 as a result of the tremendous growth of the applications originating from China.  However, the number of WIPO PCT applications experienced a fall in March 2021 and from September to the year end, which resulted in a modest yearly growth of 0.9% for 2021.  

2.  Residents’ invention patent applications mostly came from the six major municipalities with Taipei City, New Taipei City, and Hsinchu City accounting for 56% of invention applications. 

　Resident applicants from the six major municipalities and Hsinchu County/City filed a majority of the invention patent applications in Taiwan to have a 93.5% share in 2021, among which, the applications from Taipei City, New Taipei City, and Hsinchu City combined accounted for 56.3% of all applications filed in 2021, up by 6.2% compared to 2017.  In terms of number of applications, Hsinchu City took the lead with 4,711 applications, outnumbering Taipei City with 3,282 applications and New Taipei City with 3,007 applications.  As to the annual growth rate, Hsinchu City reported the biggest increase of 23.3%, ahead Hsinchu County with an annual growth rate of 7.9% and New Taipei City growing by 1.6%.    

3.  The top technical field in Taiwan’s invention patent applications and in WIPO PCT applications each was semiconductor and computer technology, respectively.  

　In 2021, the field of semiconductors took the top spot in the invention patent applications in Taiwan with 6,360 applications, apparently up by 19.6%, while computer technology topped the ranking of technology fields in WIPO PCT applications with 26,092 PCT applications, marking a 7.2% growth.  The top 10 technology fields of Taiwan’s invention patent applications and WIPO PCT applications both include the fields of semiconductors, computer technology, electrical machinery, audio-visual technology, measurement, and pharmaceuticals.  

　The comparison also found that semiconductors, as the top technology field of Taiwan’s invention patent applications accounted for 12.9% of invention applications in Taiwan, ranked 10th and took up only 3.2% of WIPO PCT applications.  Such a fact indicates that Taiwan has attained its technological superiority in the field of semiconductor.  It is noticeable that the technology fields of digital communication and medical technology among the top three fields in WIPO PCT applications did not even break into the top ten technology fields of Taiwan’s invention patent applications. 

4.  Medicine-related technology fields grew both in Taiwan and in WIPO PCT applications with the field of “pharmaceuticals” seeing the most tremendous growth in 2021 

　In the invention patent applications of Taiwan, the technology field of “pharmaceuticals” made the top 10 with 1,616 applications in 2021, up by 26.3%.  The growth also occurred in the field of “biotechnology”, up by 19.1%.  The field of “medical technology” remained stable subsequent to a surge in 2020.  As to WIPO PCT applications, the field of “pharmaceuticals” leaped by 12.8%, surpassing the field of “biotechnology” (+9.5%) and “medical technology” (+6.0%).  Besides, the field of “pharmaceuticals” saw the highest growth rate among the top 10 technology fields both in Taiwan’s invention patent applications and in WIPO PCT applications.  

5.  Some top filing countries (regions) whose filings were mostly for “semiconductors”, “computer technology”, and “organic fine chemistry” in Taiwan primarily filed WIPO PCT applications in “computer technology”, “digital communication”, and “electrical machinery, apparatus, energy”.  

　Among the top filing countries (regions) of the invention patent applications received by Taiwan IPO, Taiwan, Japan, the U.S., and South Korea had filed the most applications for patents related to semiconductors with a share of 12%~18.3%.  China and Germany filed their most applications for patents related to “computer technology” (with a share of 13.9%) and “organic fine chemistry” (with a share of 11.6%), respectively, and the top three technology fields of the two nations’ applications did not include the field of semiconductors.  

　As to the top filing countries (regions) of the WIPO PTC applications, there were more applications from China (with a share of 15.6%) and the U.S. (with a share of 12.4%) filed for patents related to computer technology, while those from South Korea were intensively filed for “digital communication” (with a share of 11.5%).  Japan and Germany filed WIPO PCT applications primarily for patents related to “electrical machinery, apparatus, energy” (with a share of 10%~11%).  It is noticeable that the aforesaid countries’ (regions’) top three technology fields did not include semiconductors.  

6.  TSMC claimed the top honor as the top applicant of invention patent applications in Taiwan, while Huawei was the top filer of WIPO PCT applications

　Throughout 2021, TSMC led in the number of invention patent applications in Taiwan by filing 1,950 applications, followed by Qualcomm (which filed 845 applications), Applied Materials (which filed 758 applications).  Industrial Technology Research Institute finished 10th as the only research institute among the top 10 filers by filing 392 applications.  On the other hand, the top 10 WIPO PCT applicants were all businesses, headed by Huawei, which filed a total of 6,952 WIPO PCT applications to outnumber Qualcomm (which filed 3,931 applications) and Samsung Electronics (which filed 3,041 applications).  Besides, Qualcomm and Samsung Electronics also earned their spots on the top 10 ranking for the invention patent applications of Taiwan.  

7.  Seven out of the top 10 filers for Taiwan’s invention patent applications were in the field of semiconductors, while most of the top 10 WIPO PCT filers had the greatest shares in digital communication.

　Seven of the top 10 applicants in Taiwan are among the top 10 applicants in semiconductors, which are TSMC, Qualcomm, Applied Materials, Samsung Electronics, Tokyo Electron, AU Optronics, and Kioxia.  Besides, TSMC, Applied Materials, ASML, AU Optronics also topped the applicants ranking in the field of “computer technology”, “electrical machinery, apparatus, energy”, “optics”, and “audio-visual technology”, respectively.  

　As to the top 10 WIPO PCT applicants, six of them filed most applications in digital communication, and they are Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson, Huawei, Guang Dong OPPO Mobile, LG Electronics, Qualcomm, and Samsung Electronics.  On the other hand, Mitsubishi Electric had filed most of its applications for patents related to “thermal processes and apparatus”, and BOE Technology filed intensively for patents related to semiconductors.  Panasonic Intellectual Property Management filed mainly for patents related to electrical machinery, apparatus, energy and Sony filed most in computer technology.  For more detailed information, please visit Taiwan IPO’s website. https://www.tipo.gov.tw/tw/cp-174-219414-a1c98-1.html.

(Released 2022.09.07)  

/CCS