China’s research institutes file more AI patents than businesses: report
Chinese academic institutions are more prolific patent filers in the artificial intelligence (AI) area than domestic companies, according to China’s State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO).
SIPO shared the statement, based on a release from China IP News, on Wednesday, August 1.
The release is based on “China’s AI Development Report 2018”, which was recently published by Tsinghua University, in Beijing.
The university’s report revealed that the most prolific filers in AI tend to come from research institutions, such as universities. Within AI, the patents mostly centre on data processing systems and data information transmissions.
Unlike in other countries, industry players in China file fewer patents in the AI sphere than those in research institutions. The country’s “top IT giants” such as Alibaba and Tencent are “overwhelmed” by the filings of foreign companies, such as IBM and Microsoft, SIPO said.
It added that the research of academic institutions is “waiting to be woken up for application and commercialisation” by Chinese companies.
The report indicated that China’s strength in AI research will encourage collaboration between research institutions and industry, ultimately empowering companies to become a major force of innovation.
Additionally, Tsinghua University’s report said that China, Japan, and the US make up nearly three quarters (74%) of the total number of AI patents. China is the “busiest country in mapping AI technologies by filing patents”, SIPO explained, though it did not share the exact figures.
Another report, released in May by Startup Genome, a global network of start-ups, claimed that China accounted for four times as many AI-related patent applications in 2017 than the US. It added that China also filed three times as many blockchain and crypto-related patents than the US last year.
The graphs provided by Startup Genome indicate that China filed slightly more than 200 AI patent applications last year, compared to just over 50 in the US.
Startup Genome said that of the ten countries with the biggest overall growth in patent filings over the past 20 years, eight are in Asia. It noted that the growth is “particularly apparent” in relation to both AI and blockchain.
Tsinghua University’s report claimed that last year, the value of China’s AI industry increased by 67% compared to 2016, to reach RMB 23.7 billion ($3.5 billion). The report predicted a market growth of 75% year-on-year in 2018.
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