Clean energy and the fight against climate change are at the fore. Today the European Patent Office (EPO) and International Energy Agency (IEA) have made public the “Patents and Energy Transition”, an associated study which, although showing the global delay in the fight against emissions as almost half of the reductions needed to reach zero in 2050 they will derive from technologies that are not yet on the market, highlights Italy’s excellent positioning in the clean energy sector.
The numbers say that between 2017 and 2019, low-carbon energy technology patents grew 3.3% annually. In this process, Italy is the 4th European player and the 9th overall for the number of clean energy patents. Our country’s specializations are in: solar thermal, geothermal, combustion, construction and rail transport.
In any case, 7.6% of all Italian patents concern clean energy technologies.
The study also says that the average growth rate recorded by Italian “clean” patents between 2000 and 2019 is 7% per year. Fiat Chrysler, Eni, Leonardo, Magneti Marelli, Sind International are the companies with the highest number of low carbon emissions patents.
Innovative enabling technologies (batteries, hydrogen, smart grids, carbon capture systems) represent 34% of all clean energy technologies.
There is also a surge in electric vehicle technologies, spurred to a considerable extent by advances in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. This trend is also reflected in the ranking of the best companies in low-carbon energy technologies since 2000, which includes six automotive companies and six of their major battery suppliers.
Since 2000, European companies and research institutes have excelled in patenting low-carbon energy inventions, with 28% (12% for Germany alone) of all international patent families in these technologies in the last decade (2010 -19), followed by Japanese (25%), US (20%), South Korean (10%) and Chinese (8%) applicants.
For Antonio Campinos, President of the European Patent Office “this report is a clear call to action to intensify research and innovation in new low-carbon energy technologies and improve existing ones”.
Looking at key regional innovation trends, the study finds that European companies and research institutes have excelled in patenting low-carbon energy inventions since 2000, with 28% (12% for Germany alone) of all households. of international patents in these technologies in the last decade (2010-19), followed by Japanese (25%), US (20%), South Korean (10%) and Chinese (8%) applicants.
While Europe ranks first in most renewable energy sectors and is particularly strong in some end-use sectors such as rail and aviation, Japan is a leader in electric vehicle, battery and hydrogen technology, and the United States has a technological advantage in aviation, biofuels and carbon capture systems. South Korea’s main strengths are batteries, solar photovoltaic technology and energy efficiency in industrial manufacturing and the information and communication technology sector (as in China).
Overall, the share of IPF in clean energy technologies generated by research institutes (universities and public research bodies) increased from 6.6% in the period between 2000 and 2009 to 8.5% (between 2010 and 2019). Research institutes are particularly active in low-carbon energy supply technologies (alternative fuels, nuclear energy and some renewable energies) and in emerging enabling technologies such as carbon capture systems and hydrogen.