Japan remains a powerhouse of battery innovation, with Panasonic, Toyota Motor and other names applying for more than one-third of international patents in the field, a new report shows.
Japan produced international patent applications published in 2018 for 2,339 inventions related to batteries, almost twice as much as second-ranked South Korea’s 1,230, according to a joint study from the European Patent Office and the International Energy Agency. The study measured patent applications filed in two or more countries.
The two east Asian economies are locked in a fierce race for dominance in batteries, which are essential for the widespread use of electric vehicles and renewable energy.
China ranked fourth in patent filings, followed by the US in fifth place, according to the study. The 38 contracting states to the European Patent Convention ranked third.
Japanese…