Korean companies dominate in global lithium-ion battery patents

[Courtesy of LG Energy Solution]

South Korean companies are dominant in global lithium-ion battery patents, with LG Chem Ltd. taking the lead, and have surpassed U.S., Japanese, and Chinese companies in both the quantity and quality of patents, according to a recent analysis of global lithium-ion battery patents.

The Maeil Business Newspaper released the analysis jointly conducted by LexisNexis Intellectual Property Solutions on Tuesday, which was conducted based on the concept of the “ultimate rightsholder” and included LG Energy Solution Ltd.’s patent assets. Knowledge competitiveness in the lithium-ion battery sector was calculated based on the Patent Asset Index (PAI), focusing on lithium-ion battery patents that companies publicly disclosed in their applications.

According to the analysis, the PAI in the lithium-ion battery sector grew 14 times compared to 20 years ago in 2023 to date, with a PAI spike in 2007 when the Apple Inc.’s iPhone was released and another in 2017 with the broader adoption of electric vehicles.

Korean companies are regarded as key players driving the growth, with several Korean companies occupying prominent positions among the global top 10 companies and accounting for approximately 48 percent of the total PAI. LG Chem took the lead, followed by Samsung SDI Co. in second place, Samsung Electronics Co. in seventh place, and SK Innovation Co. in tenth place. LG Chem, with competitive strengths in electrode materials and separators, held around a 17 percent share, while Samsung SDI, Samsung Electronics, and SK Innovation held shares of 7 percent, 3 percent, and 2 percent respectively.

The analysis also indicated that Samsung SDI’s lithium-ion battery patents show progressive quantitative growth, along with an annual increase in average qualitative levels. The company demonstrates strong patent competitiveness in electrode material compounds as well as electrolytes and separators, contributing to a consistent rise in “effective” patents in both Korea and the United States. Effective patents refer to patents either under application or registered and maintained as of the end of each reporting period, providing an indicator of patent competitiveness at that point in time.

When the analysis was expanded to the top 100 companies, 10 Korean companies made it onto the list, including Hyundai Motor Co. at 26th, Kia Corp. (36th), POSCO Holdings Inc. (41st), EcoPro Co. (42nd), Daejoo Electronic Materials Co. (53rd), and SKC Ltd. (80th). LexisNexis senior consultant Kim Dong-hyun commented on the broad range of companies on the list, ranging from “small but strong specialists like EcoPro, companies seeking business diversification like POSCO Holdings, and companies growing presence fast despite somewhat late entry like Hyundai Motor and Kia.”

According to the analysis, Japan currently leads national knowledge competitiveness in the lithium-ion battery sector. If the global lithium-ion battery PAI is 100 percent, Japan accounted for approximately 40 percent in 2023 to date, followed by Korea with about 30 percent, China 15 percent, the United States 10 percent, and Germany 5 percent. Given Japan’s dominance in the early 2000s when its figure neared the 80 percent mark, there has been a shift in market share as Korea and China gradually gained ground.

“It is not easy for companies to achieve both quantitative and qualitative growth by increasing the number of patents, but Korean companies have succeeded in achieving both quantitative and qualitative growth in the lithium-ion battery patent field,” Kim said. “Considering the growth trajectory of patent competitiveness over the years, it is possible that Korea could surpass Japan within a few years.”