The Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) said Friday it will launch the "2026 Patent Big Data-Based Industrial Innovation Support Project" to help secure technological competitiveness in future growth sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), space, and bio, and to support the establishment of national research and development (R&D) strategies.
The industrial innovation support project analyzes patent big data for technology fields in advanced industries of national importance, diagnosing technology development trends and competitive structures while supporting the establishment of R&D strategies. Based on the needs of R&D ministries and specialized agencies, it provides customized patent analysis used in establishing R&D strategies and roadmaps.
This year, the office will focus its patent analysis on securing future growth drivers, centered on fields such as AI, space, and bio, where global competition for technological supremacy is intensifying. In the AI field, it will analyze patents related to AI foundation models of the SAIL consortium, which includes major U.S. AI companies such as Anthropic, Microsoft, Meta, and IBM. Through this, it plans to identify technologies where Korea risks becoming technologically dependent and preemptively uncover potential threats from various perspectives. It also plans to analyze the technological competitiveness and core patent trends of major countries and companies across the entire supply chain in the physical AI technology field, and to derive promising technologies and R&D directions.
In the space field, the office will conduct patent analysis targeting technology areas where space industry and advanced technologies such as robots, AI, and semiconductors converge. It plans to analyze strategies for developing biopharmaceuticals and food in the space environment to present core technologies and R&D directions needed in the future space economy era. In the bio field, it will focus its analysis on the core patent groups of global blockbuster drugs and GLP-1 obesity treatments whose patents are set to expire. Through this, it will support domestic pharmaceutical and bio companies in establishing biosimilar development strategies.
In addition, the office will pursue patent analysis to strengthen the competitiveness of regional key industries. It plans to conduct patent analysis targeting autonomous manufacturing robots in Daegu, core components for software-defined vehicle (SDV)-based autonomous driving in Busan, and the renewable energy industry (floating solar power, RE100) in Jeonbuk State, supporting the establishment of region-tailored R&D strategies and the fostering of new industries.
"Patent big data is key information that shows the flow of technology development and the future of industries," said Kim Il-kyu, director-general of the intellectual property policy bureau at KIPO. "Through patent analysis of national future growth sectors such as AI, space, and bio, we will actively support the establishment of national R&D policies so that Korea can secure an advantage in global technology competition." KIPO plans to complete the patent analysis by December, provide the results to demanding agencies, and disclose the analysis results through its patent big data portal.
