Source: China IP News
Amid increasingly severe global climate change, green and lowcarbon transformation has become a global consensus. As the key to achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, green and low-carbon technology innovation is driving China to be an important participant, contributor and trailblazer in global economic conservation.
Between 2016 and 2022, invention patents of green and low-carbon technology granted in China accounted for 36.8% of the world's total; a total of 13 enterprises or institutions in China were ranked among the world's top 50 in terms of the number of invention patents offer green and low-carbon technology inventions granted, second only to Japan's 15. Among these enterprises were large central enterprises like SGCC, private enterprises represented by CATL…The Statistical Analysis Report on Global Green and Low Carbon Technology Patents (2023) (Report), recently released by the Strategic Planning Department of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), uses tons of data to prove that China is a key force in global green and low-carbon technology innovation, and China's innovations are making positive contribution to the green development of the world.
World-recognized innovations
Last July, the European Patent Office (EPO) announced the winners of the European Inventor Award 2023. Inventor Wu Kai and his team from CATL received the European Inventor Award 2023 for the "Non-EPO countries" category of the award for reducing the risk of battery explosion and fire in electric vehicles. This was the first time since 2010 that a Chinese inventor had received the award.
"Wu and his team invented the safety short circuit device (SSD), a protection device integrated into the top cover of the cell, and the invention will stop battery charging when it is triggered, thus eliminating the risk of battery failure caused by overcharging," an EPO executive commented. "This marks an important step in the popularization of electric vehicles and a significant milestone in the creation of a more eco-friendly and safer future for electric vehicles."
The European Inventor Award is one of the most valuable of its kind. "Intellectual property (IP) is a key carrier for corporate innovations and a global tool for commercial competition that plays an important role in global trade," said Wu in an interview. CATL has attached great importance to IP and invested tremendous resources in it. CATL is currently in possession of more than 16,000 domestic and foreign pending or granted patents, and has led or participated in the formulation and revision of more than 80 domestic and foreign standards.
This award shows the international community's recognition of the strength of CATL's patents and China's tremendous innovation strength. EPO received a record 19,041 patent applications from China in 2022, with Huawei being the incumbent champion of all EPO users, and OPPO, Baidu, and CATL making the top 50, according to the 2022 patent index report released by EPO in March 2023. A growing number of Chinese innovators are showcasing their exquisite design and sophisticated technologies in the world.
In the eyes of the EPO executive, in recent years, China has attached great importance to IP protection and valued it as a key economic driver. "We believe there'll be more Chinese finalists for the European Inventor Award who will continue to surprise and delight us with groundbreaking innovations."
Innovation system geared to international standards
Now, China's green and low-carbon industry is developing rapidly, and technology innovation is playing an increasingly prominent role in promoting green and low-carbon development, but there is still some room for improvement in the optimal allocation of innovation resources and the transformation and application of IP. In this context, it is essential to speed up the creation of a green and low-carbon technology innovation system matching the international standard.
The State Council released the Action Plan for Carbon Peaking before 2030 to deploy the action for green and lowcarbon technology innovation, and improve the innovation system and mechanism; nine central government agencies, including the Ministry of Science and Technology, formulated and released the Implementation Plan for Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality Powered by Technology (2022-2030), organized a number of key research projects in fields like renewable energy technology…With the release of policies and measures, China has achieved fruitful results in green and low-carbon technology innovation, and high-quality development has become more valuable.
Green technology patents are an important reflection of green technology innovation. In recent years, CNIPA has attached great importance to the promotion of green and low-carbon technology innovation. In accordance with the 14th Five-Year National Plan for the Protection and Application of Intellectual Property, CNIPA has focused on strengthening the statistical surveillance of green IPRs, compiled and released the Classification System for Green and Low-Carbon Technology Patents and related statistical analysis reports on patents, so as to better serve green development. In terms of creating a classification system for green and low-carbon technology patents, CNIPA has adopted a structure that contrasting green and low-carbon technologies with the International Patent Classification, and used the green technology list of the World Intellectual Property Organization, to realize the international comparison of classification systems, and promote the international exchanges, transfer and transformation of green and low-carbon technology patents.
We are convinced that China will travel firmly on the 'green' way with the escort of technological innovation.
