The energy storage industry advanced 14% faster than any other technological field between 2005 and 2018, according to a joint study published by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Driven by the lithium-ion sector, batteries accounted for 90% of all patenting activity in the area of energy storage, states the ‘Innovation in batteries and electricity storage’ report.
Patent applications are often seen as an early indicator of future technology trends as they are filed months, or even years, before products appear on the market.
According to the report, between 2000-18 the lithium and lithium-ion industry filed the most applications, with advances in the automotive sector growing at the fastest rate.
By cathode chemistry, patents for LCO and LMO remained constant with NMC showing a clear increase to become the most patented lithium-ion technology between 2011-18. Solid-state patents have also been steadily increasing since 2015.
Korean firms Samsung, LG Electronics and Japanese companies Panasonic and Toyota have led the way, with Germany’s Bosch the only non Asian firm to make the report’s top ten patent applicants.
