The Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) has released the statistical rankings for patent applications and granted patents in 2024. In the category of invention patent applications, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. (TSMC) secured the top position among domestic applicants for the ninth consecutive year, with 1,412 cases. Among non-resident applicants, Applied Materials Inc. reclaimed the leading spot with 950 cases. The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) led among research institutions with 356 cases, while National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) ranked first among universities with 121 cases. TSMC and Applied Materials also topped the rankings for granted invention patents, securing 1,163 and 697 patents, respectively.

Invention Patent Applications from Domestic Applicants
TSMC has maintained its dominance in invention patent applications since 2016, filing 1,412 cases in 2024. It was followed by Nanya Technology Corporation (466 cases), AUO Corporation (425 cases), ITRI (356 cases), Innoux Corporation (328 cases), Inventec Corporation (321 cases), Realtek Semiconductor Corp. (309 cases), Acer Incorporated (277 cases), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (259 cases), and MediaTek Inc. (239 cases).

Notably, Nanya Technology (ranked second) and Innolux (ranked fifth) both reached all-time highs. Hon Hai (ranked ninth) had the highest growth rate (93%) among the top 10.

Among the top 20, United Microelectronics Corp. (ranked twelfth with 221 cases), Winbond Electronics Corp. (ranked thirteenth with 160 cases) and Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (ranked seventeenth with 131 cases) also achieved record-high filings. 

Invention Patent Applications from Non-resident Applicants
Applied Materials (US) reclaimed the top position among non-resident applicants with 950 cases, while Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (KR) dropped to second place with 894 cases. Coupang Corp. (KR) advanced to third place with 698 cases, having a highest growth rate (54%) among the top 10.

The ranking continued with Tokyo Electron Limited (JP, 661 cases), Qualcomm Incorporated (US, 660 cases), Nitto Denko Corporation (JP, 417 cases), ASML Netherlands B.V. (NL, 344 cases), Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. (JP, 279 cases), Lam Research Corporation (US, 276 cases), and Screen Holdings Co., Ltd. (JP, 253 cases).

Among the top 10, Coupang (ranked third), Tokyo Electron (ranked fourth), ASML (ranked seventh), Shin-Etsu Chemical (ranked eighth), and Lam Research (ranked nineth) all achieved record-high application numbers.

Within the top 20, Japan had the highest representation with eleven companies. Resonac Corporation (JP, ranked eleventh with 251 cases), Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (CH, ranked seventeenth with 184 cases) and Wonderland Switzerland AG (CH, ranked eighteenth with 167 cases) also set new records.

Filings from Research Institutions and Universities
Five research institutions were among the top 100 domestic applicants for invention patents. ITRI (ranked fourth with 356 cases) has remained the leading research institution for 18 consecutive years since 2007.

In terms of invention patent applications filed by universities, NCKU filed 121 cases, followed by National Taiwan University (98 cases), National Tsing Hua University (83 cases), National Chin-Yi University of Technology (75 cases), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (74 cases), National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (60 cases), National Taipei University of Technology (55 cases), National Sun Yat-sen University (51 cases), National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (49 cases), and National Chung Hsing University (48 cases). The top 10 were all national universities. Taipei Medical University (47 cases) ranked eleventh, making it the highest-ranked private university.

In the field of design patent applications filed by universities, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology led with 51 cases, followed by Shu-Te University with 34 cases. Regarding total applications across invention, utility model and design patents, Taipei City University of Science and Technology maintained its leading position among universities for the fifth consecutive year, filing 177 cases in 2024, primarily for utility model patents.

(Translated and summarized from the Hot News announced on the website of the TIPO)