Mathys & Squire Partner Andrew White has been featured in articles by The Telegraph and the World IP Review with his commentary surrounding the significant global increase in drone patent applications, and the major contribution that China has to these emerging figures.
Read the extended press release below.
The number of patents granted in relation to drone technology has increased globally by 18% to 7,890 in the last year, up from 6,686 in the year previous, shows new research from leading intellectual property (IP) law firm Mathys & Squire.*
Increased innovation in drone technology has partly been driven by greater investment in defence R&D as well as an increasing range of uses for drones in the broader economy.
Manufacturers are rushing to corner as much of this rapidly growing market by registering patents to protect their R&D investments.
Developments in AI have also driven the substantial growth in drone inventions as companies look to integrate the two technologies .
Andrew White, partner at Mathys & Squire says: “There is now an almost universal acceptance that drones are going to be an important part of defence sector investment and defence companies, conventional drone companies and universities are all looking to out-innovate their competition in order to secure part of that market.”
“Innovations within the defence sector are also spilling over into the conventional drone sector – such as the use of AI to allow real-time data analysis, correction to navigation systems and object detection and avoidance.”
6,217 Chinese patents were granted last year relating to drone technology, accounting for 79% of all drone patents granted last year. This was up from 4,859 or 73% of all drone patents the year before.
Notable Chinese filers of drone patents include drone manufacturer DJI, who filed 64 patents in the last year alone. The state-backed People’s Liberation Army National University of Defence Technology also accounted for 73 patents in the last two years.
Russia also remained in the top 4 filers of drone patents (behind China, the US and South Korea), and were granted 239 patents last year, a 78% increase from the 134 patents granted the year before.
Commercial applications continue to drive growth in drone innovation
- Advanced mapping and surveillance capabilities, e.g. for monitoring progress on large-scale construction, industrial or land surveying projects
- Using drones to establish an underwater radio communications system
- Method for drones to recharge from overhead power lines
- An automated, high-efficiency spraying drone for use in agriculture
- The use of drone technology in creating a highly-automated air traffic control system to direct commercial aircraft
*Source: Patentscope data from the Information Commissioners’ Office (year-end December 31)
