United Nations said that more than half of all international patent applications filed last year came from Asia, a further sign of innovation shifting from west to east.

In the latest annual breakdown of patent filings released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), US remained the leading individual country for applications in 2018. However, on a regional basis, Asia’s surge continued.

Agency’s Director General Francis Gurry said, Asia is now the majority filer of international patent applications via WIPO. He said, it underscores the historical geographical shift of innovative activity from west to east.
WIPO’s complex system of registering international patents involves multiple categories.

In the main category-the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the US led the way with 56,142 applications, followed by China (53,345) and Japan (49,702).

India registered the largest innovation jump of any country last year. Patent applications jumped more than 27 per cent from 1,583 in 2017 up to 2,013.