BERLIN, March 27 (Xinhua) -- China is playing an increasingly active role in the global patent system, demonstrating strong performance in booming fields such as computer technology and battery innovation, said a European patent expert in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

The European Patent Office's (EPO) Patent Index 2024, released Tuesday, revealed that Chinese companies and researchers filed a new record of 20,081 patent applications in 2024, a 0.5 percent increase from 2023.

Gilles Requena, EPO's chief patent research and policy officer, told Xinhua on Wednesday that "Patent applications from China to the EPO have more than quadrupled since 2014 -- the fastest growth of any country."

The EPO official highlighted a broader shift in China's role, from a global manufacturing hub to an innovation leader. "Twenty years ago, China was primarily focused on production such as fabric. Today, we're seeing a surge in research labs and technological innovations."

He credited China's government policies for strengthening intellectual property protection, as well as Chinese companies' increasing investment in research and development (R&D).

In 2024, the top five countries for patent filings at the EPO were the United States, Germany, Japan, China, and South Korea. China accounted for over 10 percent of total applications, and as U.S. and Japanese filings decline, Requena noted that China is closing the gap with its competitors.

He also emphasized China's key role in global patent cooperation, adding that the collaboration between the EPO and the China National Intellectual Property Administration dates back to the 1980s.

Overall, the EPO received 199,264 patent applications from around the world in 2024, with electrical machinery, apparatus, and energy recording the highest growth in applications globally. Requena noted that patent activity remains diverse, with significant innovation in green technology. "This is specifically true for batteries, for example, where Asian countries and especially China are extremely well positioned," he said.

Over the past year, digital communication and computer technologies have remained dominant in patent filings, with artificial intelligence (AI) at the forefront.

"Unlike pharmaceutical innovations, which are often limited to specific industries, AI has so many applications in different fields of industry," he said, explaining the sustained growth of AI-related patents for over a decade with no signs of slowing down.

However, emerging technologies such as quantum could change the current landscape, Requena said. Enditem

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