Patent applications for battery fire safety technologies have surged nineteen-fold over the past decade. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
DAEJEON, Nov. 5 (Korea Bizwire) – In a significant development highlighting South Korea’s dominance in battery technology, patent applications for battery fire safety technologies have surged nineteen-fold over the past decade, according to data released by the Korean Intellectual Property Office on November 3.
An analysis of patent applications filed with major patent offices worldwide—including South Korea, the United States, China, the European Union, and Japan—reveals that the total number of battery fire safety patents reached 13,599 by the end of 2021, up from 715 in 2012, representing an average annual growth rate of 15%.
South Korea has emerged as the clear leader in this field, accounting for 37.7% of all patents with 5,122 applications. China follows with 3,099 patents (22.8%), while Japan and the United States trail with 2,855 (21%) and 1,518 (11.2%) patents respectively.
Among the different categories of battery fire safety technology, fire detection systems dominated with 9,855 patents (61.2%), followed by fire prevention technologies with 5,292 patents (32.8%), and fire suppression systems with 967 patents (6%).
The fire suppression category showed the highest growth rate at 37.7% annually, likely driven by recent incidents involving secondary battery fires and explosions.
Two South Korean companies lead the corporate rankings: LG Energy Solution with 2,735 patents (20.1%) and Samsung SDI with 1,416 patents (10.4%).
China’s CATL secured the third position with 701 patents, followed by Japan’s Toyota (398 patents) and Sanyo (322 patents). Other notable South Korean companies in the top 10 include SK On (sixth place with 257 patents) and Hyundai Motor Company (ninth place with 189 patents).
“The advancement in battery fire safety technology will help reduce damages from battery fire and explosion incidents,” said Shin Sang-gon of the Patent Examination Policy Bureau.
He added that the office would continue to provide timely patent information necessary to protect public safety from battery-related incidents.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
