The Patent Application Boom Related to AI and the 4th Industrial Revolution Is 'Hot'

Graph of patent application status in the field of 4th Industrial Revolution-related technologies from 2011 to 2020. Provided by the Korean Intellectual Property Office

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Despite the impact of COVID-19, patent applications in the field of technologies related to the 4th Industrial Revolution have increased, according to a recent investigation. This is attributed to the continuous efforts of companies aiming to secure technological leadership in this rapidly expanding sector.

According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) on the 7th, a total of 20,503 patent applications related to 4th Industrial Revolution technologies were filed last year, marking an 11.2% increase compared to 18,443 applications in 2019.

Considering that the total number of domestic patent applications increased by 3.3% compared to 2019, the rise in patent applications related to 4th Industrial Revolution technologies is particularly notable.

By sector, last year’s application numbers were led by artificial intelligence with 5,472 applications, followed by digital healthcare for non-face-to-face health management with 5,300 applications, and autonomous driving, a core technology for future vehicles, with 4,082 applications.

KIPO analyzes this trend as reflecting the growing interest in health due to COVID-19 and aging populations, alongside the rapid spread of the 4th Industrial Revolution across industries centered on artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.

Particularly noteworthy is the increasing number of convergence technologies that apply multiple technologies to a single product, following the trend of technological convergence and fusion. For example, patent applications for convergence technologies have grown at an average annual rate of 39.7% over the past decade, with 1,263 applications filed last year, representing a 23.0% increase compared to 2019.

Representative convergence technologies include combinations such as artificial intelligence and digital healthcare (500 applications), artificial intelligence and big data (239 applications), and artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (224 applications). KIPO emphasizes that these figures confirm artificial intelligence’s fusion with multiple fields, establishing it as a foundational technology of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Recently, there has been a significant increase in patent applications utilizing artificial intelligence (279 applications in 2019 → 500 applications in 2020, a 79.2% increase) or big data (43 applications → 65 applications, a 51.2% increase) in the digital healthcare sector, which is also considered a notable point.

Major applicants by sector include Samsung Electronics in artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and digital healthcare; LG Electronics in intelligent robotics; and three affiliates of Hyundai Motor Company leading in autonomous driving patent applications.

Additionally, public research institutions such as the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Rural Development Administration, and Korea Institute of Industrial Technology have shown prominent patent applications related to big data, biomarkers, and 3D printing.

Seo Eul-soo, Director of the Convergence Technology Examination Bureau at KIPO, stated, “Patent applications related to new technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution have increased by more than 14% annually over the past decade. Especially last year, despite the COVID-19 situation, the number of applications increased, suggesting that patent applications in this field will continue to grow steadily.”

He added, “KIPO will prepare examination standards tailored to the industry’s needs and provide patent administrative services such as ‘three-person collaborative examination’ to respond to the continuously increasing patent applications and the trend of technological convergence related to the 4th Industrial Revolution.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.