South Korea Solid-State Battery Patents Grow 29.5% Annually

South Korea’s Solid-State Battery Patent Applications Accelerate

South Korea solid-state battery patents recorded an average annual growth rate of 29.5% from 2015 to 2024, according to the country’s Ministry of Intellectual Property. This placed South Korea second globally for growth in all-solid-state battery patent applications, behind China, which recorded an annual growth rate of 42.4%. Across major countries, applications increased approximately 7.6-fold during the period, rising from 340 in 2015 to 2,573 in 2024. The figures highlight the rapid expansion of patenting activity in this battery technology area, while the country-level growth rates and cumulative application totals provide different measures of activity.

China Leads Cumulative All-Solid-State Battery Patent Applications

China recorded the highest cumulative number of all-solid-state battery patent applications from 2015 through 2024, with 4,447 filings. Japan ranked second with 3,691 applications, followed by South Korea with 2,631 and the United States with 1,022. These totals establish China’s lead in the reported cumulative figures, while South Korea’s annual growth rate places it second among the countries compared for growth. The distinction matters because a high growth rate and a high cumulative total measure different aspects of patenting activity. The figures describe applications over the stated period and should not be interpreted as a direct measurement of commercial battery production or technological performance.

Company Rankings Show Toyota in First Place

At the company level, Toyota ranked first globally, with 1,996 all-solid-state battery patent applications between 2015 and 2024. Samsung SDI followed with 712 applications, while LG Energy Solution recorded 525. The reported figures place Toyota substantially ahead of the next two companies in the ranking. They also show that battery-related patenting activity was concentrated among several major automotive and battery-industry companies during the period. However, application counts alone do not establish the commercial value of individual patents, whether applications were granted, or how successfully the underlying technologies may be developed and deployed.

Four South Korean Companies Enter the Global Top 10

South Korean companies accounted for four positions in the reported global top 10. In addition to Samsung SDI and LG Energy Solution, Samsung Electronics ranked fifth with 327 applications, while Hyundai Motor ranked sixth with 284. Their positions demonstrate the presence of multiple South Korean companies among the leading patent applicants in the all-solid-state battery field. The rankings cover applications recorded from 2015 to 2024, and the figures should be understood within that period rather than as a current-year filing count. The reported data does not specify the technical scope, grant status, or commercial use of each company’s applications.

What the Patent Figures Establish

The reported figures provide three distinct comparisons: the annual growth rate of South Korean applications, cumulative applications by country, and cumulative applications by company. South Korea’s 29.5% average annual growth rate ranked second behind China’s 42.4%, while China also led the cumulative country totals with 4,447 applications. Toyota led the company ranking with 1,996 applications, and four South Korean companies appeared in the global top 10. These measures help describe the scale and pace of patenting activity, but they do not independently establish which organization has the most advanced technology, the strongest commercialization prospects, or the largest production capacity for all-solid-state batteries.

Industry Impact & Outlook

The patent rankings indicate sustained research and intellectual-property activity in all-solid-state batteries, with China leading cumulative country applications and South Korea showing strong annual growth. Toyota’s position at the top of the company ranking, alongside the presence of Samsung SDI, LG Energy Solution, Samsung Electronics, and Hyundai Motor, underscores the participation of major automotive and battery-related businesses in this technology area. For manufacturers and industry observers, the figures offer a useful indicator of where patenting activity is concentrated, but application totals alone cannot determine future market leadership. Further developments in patent grants, technology validation, and commercial deployment would be needed to assess how this intellectual-property activity translates into usable products and industrial outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly did South Korea’s all-solid-state battery patent applications grow?
South Korea’s all-solid-state battery patent applications recorded an average annual growth rate of 29.5% between 2015 and 2024, according to the Ministry of Intellectual Property. This rate ranked second globally, behind China’s 42.4%. The figures indicate a rapid increase in patenting activity during the reported period. They do not, by themselves, show how many applications were granted, how many technologies reached commercial use, or how much battery production resulted from the research associated with those applications.

Which country had the most all-solid-state battery patent applications?
China recorded the highest cumulative total among the countries listed, with 4,447 all-solid-state battery patent applications from 2015 through 2024. Japan followed with 3,691, South Korea recorded 2,631, and the United States had 1,022. These figures compare cumulative applications over the same stated period. They should not be confused with annual growth rates, since a country’s total number of applications and its rate of increase measure different aspects of patenting activity.

Which company ranked first globally for all-solid-state battery patent applications?
Toyota ranked first among companies, recording 1,996 all-solid-state battery patent applications between 2015 and 2024. Samsung SDI ranked second with 712 applications, and LG Energy Solution followed with 525. Samsung Electronics ranked fifth with 327 applications, while Hyundai Motor ranked sixth with 284. These rankings reflect the application counts reported for the period. They do not independently establish the relative quality of each company’s patents or confirm which applications have resulted in commercially deployed battery technologies.

How many South Korean companies were in the global top 10?
Four South Korean companies appeared among the global top 10 for all-solid-state battery patent applications in the reported 2015–2024 period. Samsung SDI recorded 712 applications, LG Energy Solution recorded 525, Samsung Electronics ranked fifth with 327, and Hyundai Motor ranked sixth with 284. Their presence shows that several South Korean companies featured prominently in the reported rankings. The available figures do not provide a breakdown of patent grants, individual technical specialties, or commercial outcomes for these companies.

Did all-solid-state battery patent applications increase worldwide during the period?
Across the major countries covered by the reported figures, all-solid-state battery patent applications increased approximately 7.6-fold, rising from 340 in 2015 to 2,573 in 2024. This increase indicates a substantial expansion in patenting activity over the decade. The figures describe applications rather than confirmed patent grants or completed commercial products. They also do not establish how much of the increase came from particular technical advances, investment decisions, or changes in individual companies’ research strategies.

Do patent application rankings prove which company has the best battery technology?
No. Patent application rankings show the number of applications attributed to countries or companies during a specified period, but they do not independently measure technical performance or commercial success. The reported data places Toyota first among companies and identifies four South Korean companies in the global top 10. However, it does not provide application-by-application assessments, grant outcomes, performance testing, manufacturing readiness, or sales figures. Those additional measures would be needed to compare the practical maturity and commercial results of different all-solid-state battery technologies.