Annual Anaqua Analysis of USPTO Data Finds Strong Increase in Patent Grant Activity

Core Insights - Global patent grants increased by nearly 6% to 368,597 over the past 12 months, indicating continued investment in emerging technologies [1][2] - The semiconductor sector experienced significant growth, with patent grants rising from 49,831 in 2021 to 67,118 in 2024 [7] - AI patent grants also grew for the fourth consecutive year, increasing from 34,544 in 2020 to 54,022 in 2024 [8] Most Innovative Companies - Samsung Electronics led with 10,427 granted patents, focusing on multi-device organic light emitting solid state devices and semiconductor arrangements [3] - Other top companies included TSMC with 4,127 patents, LG Corp with 3,987, Qualcomm with 3,474, and Apple with 3,437 patents [4] Most Innovative Countries - U.S.-based companies granted a total of 157,955 patents, despite a nearly 3% decrease from the previous year [5] - APAC countries, including Japan, China, and South Korea, were well represented in the top five, with Germany leading European countries [5] Top Innovation Areas - The leading technology fields for patent grants included semiconductor technology, AI, medical-related patents, 5G, and VR [6] - Other notable areas included program control units, unauthorized user detection technologies, and electric vehicles [6] Industry Commentary - The increase in semiconductor and AI patents signals a healthy invention ecosystem across various industries [9]