China has not replaced the US as a technology leader

pte20240423026 Politics/Law, Business/Economics

Nevertheless, the increase in patent applications – the People's Republic depends on other regions as well

The battle for global tech leadership: America can keep its lead (Image: ChatGPT/Dall-E)

Mannheim/Frankfurt am Main/Paris (pte026/04/23/2024/1:55 pm)

Despite all the efforts and billions in subsidies for new patent applications, China has not replaced the US as a global technology leader. In addition, China is highly dependent on technologies from other regions, an analysis shows European Center for Economic Research (ZEW), The University of Frankfurt And this IÉSEG School of Management Paris.

Further fragmentation of Europe

“Although China has made great progress in the number and influence of inventions, it is still dependent on other regions and players. Based on the principle of innovation, it is preferable for Europe to cooperate with leading technological countries such as the United States, Japan and Korea. It still reduces dependencies.” says ZEW researcher Philip Boing.

According to the expert, politicians in this country should focus on developing key technologies. Because Europe already has advantages in these areas. “At the same time, Europe's future dependence on China's innovations should be avoided,” advises the economist.

US patents are frequently cited

Although three-quarters of PCT applications in 2000 came from the United States and Europe, Western dominance is said to have gradually declined over the next two decades. In 2020, more than half of global PCT applications came from China, Japan and Korea.

Still: The result shows that patents from USA are cited more frequently and patents from China are less frequently cited. On the other hand, Japanese and Korean patents are initially cited slightly more than European patents, but become less important over time.

US patents not only receive more ISR citations, but also have more influence in geographical and technological areas, according to the study. “Although China has improved its bilateral influence in the 2010s, its recent growth trend has been similar to that of the US and Europe, albeit at a lower level,” concludes Elisabeth Müller, co-editor of the IÉSEG School of Management Paris.

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