Electronic components have never really been able to recover from the health crisis and at present, it is still difficult for sectors to recover and relaunch a large number of markets that are dependent on them.
However, after months and months of scarcity, it would seem that the number of patents filed, on the sidelines of production still lagging behind, is constantly increasing.
And inevitably: the crisis has not only highlighted the difficulties linked to the shortage, but also the ultra-dependence on semiconductors.
All in all, precisely 69,190 patents were filed last year, which represents an increase of 59% compared to 2017 when 43,380 were filed, which is very indicative of the resilience of this industry.
Proportionally, it is China that does the best with 55% of patents, which represents 37,865 filings, which places the former communist standard ahead of the USA, despite everything on the podium with 18,223 filings.
The shortage has marked the spirits…
« Governments are increasingly concerned about the fragility of global supply chains and are taking steps to promote domestic semiconductor research and production. The new technologies that will emerge from this global technology race will be protected by patents which are likely to be fiercely enforced. “, explains Edd Cavanna, associate director at Mathys & Squire, a law firm specializing in intellectual property, which has just issued a report on the subject, further specifying that:
« Global powers such as the United States, China and the European Union are vying for leadership in semiconductor technology. This says a lot about their importance for the future of the economy ».
Leader or not, what matters above all is obviously the boycott of China by the American administration for several years, coupled with this manifest desire to climb to the top step of the podium while maintaining a monopoly in this area, far ahead of the countries of Asia, even, why not a few European nations, the Netherlands in the lead.
