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Hon Hai Tops Local Invention-patent Application Volume in Q2, 2015

2015/07/29 | By Quincy Liang

Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co. Ltd., the Taiwan-based major EMS (electronics manufacturing services) provider, topped all local counterparts in the number of patent applications in the second quarter of 2015 in Taiwan, with the company's applications submitted during the period focusing mainly on Internet of Things (IoT) and robot-related fields, according to statistics released by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA).

IPO says that Internet of Things (IoT) has become the major field for most Taiwanese patent applicants. (photo from Internet)
IPO says that Internet of Things (IoT) has become the major field for most Taiwanese patent applicants. (photo from Internet)

Acer Inc., a major personal computer (PC) vendor on the island, ranked second with 95 applications, most of which focused on IoT-related hardware. The IPO said that IoT has become the latest hotbed of technological deployments for information and communication technology (ICT) makers.

Quoting various research data, the IPO said that global shipments of IoT-enabled terminal devices will soon outstrip 50 billion units, to draw almost all major (ICT) vendors to prioritize attention to the lucrative and booming market. The IPO forecasts that the number of IOT-related patent applications will greatly increase over the next few years.

Data from the IPO show that a total of 10,554 invention-patent applications were submitted by local firms in the second quarter, up 0.88 percent from the same period of last year, or year-on-year (YoY), which ended a volume downtrend in the previous four straight quarters. However, the office added, the overall patent applications submitted in the quarter totaled 18,176 cases, down 2.37 percent YoY, due to the declining applications for new-type and design patents.

A senior IPO official attributes the growth of invention patents to local companies' strategy to pursue patent quality rather than quantity. However, he added, one needs more time to observe and make out the developmental trends in the patent application increase. Hon Hai's Chinese subsidiary Hon Fu Precision, on the other hand, ranked 10th in foreign patent applicants in Taiwan with 60 applications, which focuses mainly on computer peripherals and related fields.

The official echoed the IPO's view that IoT has become the new field for Taiwanese patent applicants. In addition, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (TSMC), Taiwan's largest silicon foundry, ranked the 6th in number of patent applications in the second quarter, focusing mainly on material and production-process innovations.

Intel Corp. of the U.S. retained its leading position among foreign companies applying for new patents in Taiwan, followed by Applied Materials Inc. (a global leader in supplying manufacturing equipment), Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. (of Japan), Tokyo Electron Ltd. etc. Apple Inc. was the sixth in number of applications in the second quarter; while Samsung Electronics' application volume saw a clear drop to render the Korean company 24th.

In general, the IPO said, applications from the flat panel display (FPD) industry saw a downtrend, an indicator of the increasing maturity of technologies in the sector; while that from makers of handheld mobile devices was mixed.

Top-10 Local Patent Applicants in 2014
Rank Applicant Invention New Type Design Total
1

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.

1,081

42

87

1,210

2

Industrial Technology Research Institute

445

24

0

469

3

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited

430

0

0

430

4

Acer Incorporated

353

44

18

415

5

Au Optronics Corp.

374

32

5

411

6

Far East University

44

305

1

350

7

Wistron Corporation

280

58

4

342

8

China Steel Corporation

125

111

0

236

9

Inventec Corporation

219

0

4

223

10

Innolux Corporation

191

20

0

211

Source: IPO, MOEA

Top-10 Foreign Patent Applicants in 2014
Rank         Applicant Invention New Type Design Total
1

Nitto Denko Corporation

466

3

0

469

2

Applied Materials, Inc.

443

8

4

455

3

Lg Chem, Ltd.

419

0

0

419

4

Fujifilm Corporation

368

25

6

399

5

Intel Corporation

394

0

0

394

6

Tokyo Electron Limited

361

0

4

365

7

Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

337

0

20

357

8

Qualcomm Incorporated

311

0

0

311

9

Apple Inc.

259

4

31

294

10

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.

271

0

16

287

Source: IPO, MOEA