Chinese companies and researchers filed a new record of 20,081 patent applications in 2024 at the European Patent Office (EPO), the office's Patent Index 2024 revealed Tuesday.

This figure accounts for 10.1 percent of all applications received by the office, securing China's position as the fourth-largest filer globally.

While the growth rate of Chinese patent applications registered 0.5 percent in 2024 compared to 2023, the overall number has more than doubled since 2018 and quadrupled since 2014, the EPO noted in its press release.

In the company ranking, Huawei led the way with 4,322 applications, achieving second place overall at the EPO. In addition to Huawei, five other Chinese companies were among the top 50 filers, "showcasing China's robust innovation capabilities and active participation in European patent applications," it said.

The top three technical fields for Chinese patent filings in 2024 were digital communication, electrical machinery and apparatus, and computer technology -- mirroring global trends.

The fastest-growing sector among Chinese applicants was electrical machinery, apparatus, and energy, which saw a 32.2 percent increase compared to 2023.

"This was thanks to a surge from China in patent applications for battery-related technologies, up 79 percent from the previous year, with four Chinese companies now among the top 15 applicants in battery technologies," EPO said.

Overall, the EPO received 199,264 patent applications from around the world in 2024, with electrical machinery, apparatus, and energy recording the highest growth globally.

"Despite political and economic uncertainties, companies and inventors from around the world filed a high number of patents last year, underlining their technological prowess and their continued investment in R&D," said EPO President Antonio Campinos.

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