June 22,2025
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Japanese Patent Technology Trends Send Signals: How Can Chinese Enterprises Strategically Deploy in GlobalCompetition?——
22
June
ByJW IP
UpdatedMay 13,2025 15:34pm
In April 2025, the Japan Patent Office released investigation results of the "2024 Survey on Technological Trends of Patent Applications in Different Fields", focusing on five cutting-edge fields: perovskite solar cells, polarizing plates, combustible refrigerant systems, mRNA pharmaceuticals, and metaverse audio processing, revealing the global technological competition landscape. As an intellectual property agency, we gain insights into opportunities and challenges from data and provide professional advice for corporate global expansion and technology IP strategy.
一 、 Japan's advantageous fields: technological strength and international layout
1. Perovskite solar cells: Japan leads, China must break through the bottleneck of patent
Data shows that from 2009 to 2022, Japan filed 926 international patent applications for perovskite solar cell-related technologies, accounting for 30.3% of the global total, far exceeding that of China (11.8%) and the United States (11.9%.). This field is the core of photovoltaic technology, and Japanese companies such as Fujifilm, Panasonicand Sumitomo Chemical have established technology protection through early patent layouts, especially forming patent clusters in key areas such as material stability and stacking technology.
Although Chinese enterprises have cost advantages at the production end, with their patent layout concentrated on mid- and low-end processes① , their core materials and equipment patents rely on overseas②。
Advice from IP agency: Focus on areas such as "flexible substrate preparation" ③ , and simultaneously conduct patent layout in the United States, Europe, and Japan through PCT international applications, while being alert to the potential patent litigation risks of Japanese companies (such as the 337 investigation of Chinese photovoltaic companies by the United States in January and February 2025)④.
2. Polarizing plates and flammable refrigerants: segmented market opportunities under Japanese monopoly
In polarizer technology, Japan ranks first with 42% of international applications (4709 cases), followed closely by South Korea ( 14.6%) and China ( 18.4%).Although Chinese companies such as Shengbo and Shanjin ⑤ have achieved domestic substitution of medium-sized polarizing plates⑥ , the core patents of polarizing plates for high-end vehicles and flexible OLEDs, such as the retardation film⑦ and anti-reflective coating⑧ ) are still controlled by Japanese companies such as Sumitomo Chemical and Nitto Denko.
Advice from IP agency: Enterprises should focus on upgrading directions such as "ultra-thinning" and "low power consumption"⑨ , and avoid existing technological barriers through patent navigation.
In the field of flammable refrigerant systems, Japan dominates with an absolute advantage of 56.6% (3469 cases), while China only accounts for 4%.This technology has become a key choice in the air conditioning and cold chain industries due to its environmental requirements (replacing hydrofluorocarbons to reduce damage to the ozone layer and lower global warming potential (GWP))⑩Japanese companies such as Daikin, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Mitsubishi Electric are patent intensive in areas such as safety control and system design.
Advice from IP agency: Enterprises need to exert efforts in key supporting technologies of the refrigeration system, such as "optimization of refrigeration system ⑪ and leakage detection technology ⑫, and simultaneously apply for international patentsto meet the access standards of overseas markets.
二、 Competition and Gaps: mRNA and Metaverse Audio Processing
1. mRNA pharmaceuticals: The United States is absolutely leading, while China focuses on innovation at the application level.
The United States dominates the global mRNA pharmaceutical industry with a share of 63.4% (4348 cases), while Japan only accounts for 3. 1% and China 9.7%. American companies such as Moderna and Pfizer⑬ hold the patents of core delivery technologies such as lipid nanoparticle LNP⑭,COVID-19 vaccine (which uses mRNA technology) and others, while Chinese enterprises (such as Watson Biology and Albo Biology) ⑮ primarily focus on the application and development of COVID-19 vaccine improvement and tumor treatment.
Advice from IP Agency: Chinese enterprises should strengthen the downstream patent layout in areas such as "multivalent vaccine" and "local delivery system" ⑯⑰, enter emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and Latin America through PCT applications, while paying attention to avoiding licensing risks in the US patent pool.
2. Metaverse audio processing: Japan is active and China seizes technological scenarios
Japan follows closely behind the United States (31.7%) with 23.7% of applications (814 cases) in the metaverse audio field, while China accounts for 14.9%.This technology covers spatial audio, virtual sound source localization, and immersive sound effect processing.Japanese companies such as Sony and Yamaha excel in combining technology with content ecosystems, such as virtual concert audio systems⑱⑲。Chinese enterprises (such as ByteDance and Tencent) ⑳ have the advantage in scenario implementation.
Advice from IP agency: Chinese enterprises should conduct patent layout in the directions such as "AI generated music algorithm" ㉑ "cross platform audio interoperability technology" ㉒ , and simultaneously apply for patents in China, the United States, and the European Union to build dual capabilities of technical standards and business scenarios.
三 、 The Choice of Chinese Enterprises: Intellectual Property Agency
1. Precisely identify the technological gap
Precisely identify the technological gaps in the target field through patent analysis, submit basic patents for core technologies, and lay out peripheral patents focusing on implementation details.
2. Strengthen international layout
Utilize the PCT route to lock in the major global markets within 12-18 months, with a particular focus on the examination cycle and authorization standards of target countries (for example, Europe emphasizes technological novelty and the United States emphasizes commercial value).Regarding Japan's advantageous areas, it is recommended to challenge its "problematic patents" through patent invalidation procedures, while addressing unreasonable technological barriers within the WTO framework.
3. Leverage the full-chain services of IP agencies
Patent Navigation: By analyzing technological evolution route through global patent databases, avoid duplicate research and development (for example, there are already over 20000 patents ㉓in the mRNA field, and it is necessary to accurately screen uncovered targets).
Cross-border compliance: When processing patent applications from multiple countries, synchronously evaluate local regulations (such as the patent requirements of each country).
Infringement warning: Establish a patent monitoring mechanism for competitors in key markets (such as regularly tracking new applications from Japanese companies in WIPO).
Conclusion: Intellectual property is the core weapon of commercial competition
Japan's patent layout strategy confirms the principle that technology combined with protection is the right to speak.Chinese companies have accumulated profound experience in fields such as artificial intelligence, communication, and new energy㉔㉕㉖, etc., If they use intellectual propertyas a weapon to
attack and protect cutting-edge technologies, they will definitely achieve twice the result with half the effort .As a professional intellectual property agency, we will continue to track global intellectual property developments and help enterprises gain the upper hand in the five cutting-edge fields: perovskite solar cells, polarizing plates, flammable refrigerant systems, mRNA pharmaceuticals, and metaverse audio processing, and take the initiative in international competition.
Contact us immediately to customize exclusive intellectual property technology layout solutions!
(Data source: Japan Patent Office's "Investigation Results on the Technological Trends of Patent Applications by Field for the 6th Year of Reiwa ")
(Image source: Baidu Images, Perovskite Solar Cells, Sohu, published by Ovonyx Technology Group in Guangdong Province)
PS.
① Global Environmental Research Network
② Tianhe Guangneng WeChat official account
③ Official website of Chinese Academy of Sciences
④ Sina Finance official website
⑤ Sohu official website
⑥ WeChat official account of Shenzhen Optical and Electronic Industry Association
⑦ Japanese Chemical Industry Daily
⑧ Xinrou Technology Official Website
⑨ Photoelectric functional materials and devices WeChat official account
⑩ Snowball WeChat official account
⑪ NetEase official website
⑫ Tencent official website
⑬ Titanium media WeChat official account
⑭ Sina Finance official website
⑮ Titanium media WeChat official account
⑯ Snowball WeChat official account
⑰ NetEase official website
⑱ Sina official website
⑲ AV CN WeChat official account
⑳ Find WeChat official account
㉑ Global Science Network official website Wang Yuyang
㉒ AIGC Observation Network Official Website Zhixi
㉓ Official website of the European Patent Office
㉔ Sohu official website
㉕ Snowball WeChat official account
㉖ NetEase official website
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