Korea ranks 7th in space technology patent, but distant with earlier group

[Source: SpaceX]

South Korea has ranked seventh in the number of space technology patent applications after the United States, China, France, Japan, Russia and Germany, a report showed on Monday.

According to the report from Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the country has accumulated space technology through the development of launch vehicles such as Naro and Nuri and continuous satellite launches, but the number of patent applications in this field is less than 70 cases per year, which is still insufficient compared to major economies in space exploration.

With the launch of Danuri last month, South Korea will become the seventh country in the world to have carried out a successful lunar probe launch.

More efforts are required for Korean private companies to secure patents in the relevant field as most patents came from state-funded Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), whereas technology development and patent applications are being led by private companies such as Boeing and Airbus in advanced countries in space technology, the report said.

By holders of space-related patents filed in the last 30 years from 1990, the largest holder is Airbus of France (1,332 cases), followed by Boeing of the U.S. (759 cases), Mitsubishi of Japan (688 cases), and Thales of France (539 cases).

KARI placed 5th with a total of 476 patent applications. Korea took up 5 percent in the number of satellite technology patents in the past 30 years, but only 2 percent in launch vehicle patents, showing a big gap with the U.S., China, and France.

[¨Ï Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]