China leads innovation growth for 2015 PCT patent filings

PCT Filings by Origin Country 

Data from WIPO

China businesses continued their dramatic growth in worldwide innovation last year.  According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Asian businesses were the key contributors to a record number of patent applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) last year.  The total number filed in 2015 was 218,000, a 1.7% increase from the previous year. Chinese filers accounted for a 16.8% growth of PCT applications last year.  China-based Huawei headed the list for a second year in a row with 3,898 filings, while fellow Chinese company ZTE recorded the third most-filed PCT applications with 2,155.

While the US held the top spot for the 38th consecutive year with 57,385 applications filed, the number of PCT applications from the country dropped by 6.7%. WIPO director general Francis Gurry stated that, “We see through this indicator that, while the US maintains its premier position, the geography of innovation continues to shift and evolve, with Asia, and in particular Japan, China and South Korea, forming the predominant geographical cluster.”

By country, even with its drop, the USA took first place as it has done for the past 38 years with 57,385 PCT applications.  Japan was No. 2 in PCT filings with 44,235, and China was No.3 with 29,846. The UK was in 7th place with 5,313 applications, with Germany, Korea and France in 4th, 5th and 6th places with 18,072, 14,626 and 8476 applications, respectively.