On February 28, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released its latest report, indicating that the demand for patent protection continued to grow in 2022. Innovators from China, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Germany led in international patent applications under the WIPO Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). China maintained its top ranking, accounting for more than a quarter of the total number of applications. According to the report, China remained the largest source of PCT international patent applications with 70,015 filings, a 0.6% increase from the previous year. The United States, Japan, South Korea, and Germany followed closely behind.

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. remains the largest applicant to date, filing 7,689 applications in 2022. The report also indicated that the PCT international patent applications grew by 0.3% in 2022, reaching a record-high of 278,100, the highest single-year application total in history. Asia remained the primary source of international patent applications, accounting for 54.7% of the total applications in 2022, up from 40.3% in 2012.

In the field of education, the University of California remained the largest applicant, filing 552 PCT applications in 2022. Zhejiang University ranked second with 309 filings, followed by Suzhou University with 303. Among the top ten education institutions, Suzhou University saw the largest increase, nearly doubling its PCT international patent applications from 2021.

The report also highlighted that the number of designs contained in international applications submitted through the Hague system of the WIPO's international design system increased by 11.2% in 2022, reaching a new high of 25,028. As a new member, China sought protection for 2,558 designs, ranking second. China's accession to the international design registration system of the WIPO in 2022 has stimulated a surge in international design applications, reflecting a two-digit increase in demand for design protection.

WIPO Director-General Daren Tang stated that the international intellectual property application volume in 2022 remained stable. Despite difficult economic conditions and reduced risk financing, companies continued to invest in innovation. China's accession to the WIPO's international design system (Hague system) has promoted the surge of design applications from China and other countries, demonstrating that multilateral approaches to international cooperation can benefit everyone.