The United States and China have established a two-power structure in quantum computing patent competition as the technology emerges as a next-generation information technology, according to new government data released Monday.
The Korean Intellectual Property Office on Jan. 21 disclosed an analysis of quantum computing patent applications filed worldwide over the decade from 2014 to 2023. Global quantum computing patent filings totaled 9,162 during the period.
The United States led with 4,187 patent applications, accounting for 45.7% of the total. China followed in second place with 2,279 applications, or 24.9%. Chinese filings have grown at an average rate of 2.2-fold annually, the fastest pace globally.
Korea, meanwhile, filed just 248 patents (2.7%) over the 10-year period, ranking sixth behind Europe with 1,127 (12.3%), Japan with 656 (7.2%), and Canada with 277 (3.0%). Korean applications grew at an average annual rate of 58.5%, the third-highest growth rate after China and Israel.
The US-China dominance was also evident among top applicants. IBM led all filers with 1,120 patent applications over the decade, followed by Google with 680. Microsoft and IonQ also ranked among the top 10 quantum computing patent applicants from the United States.
Among Chinese companies, Origin Quantum filed 605 patents to rank third overall. Baidu and Tencent placed fifth and seventh, respectively. These Chinese firms have been doubling their patent filings annually. No Korean company appeared in the top 10.
The intellectual property office noted that commercial quantum computing technology patent applications have been steadily increasing, indicating that quantum computing technology has entered an early industrialization stage.
"For domestic companies to secure leadership in the early diffusion stage of the quantum industry, a strategic approach linking R&D with patent acquisition is crucial," said Jeong Jae-hwan, Director General of the Intellectual Property Information Bureau at the Korean Intellectual Property Office.
