Increasing the patent layout of new industries and future industries is the goal and trend of operators' future patent layout.
Intellectual property rights are essential for innovation and development. At present, telecom operators are anchored in the vision and goal of transforming from basic operation enterprises to technology-based enterprises, and it is particularly important to drive the high-quality development of enterprises with scientific and technological innovation.
Positive layout
In 2023, China Telecom applied for more than 5,000 invention patents, with self-developed IT systems and business platforms accounting for 45%, an increase of 6pp year-on-year, and 98 projects led by the International Organization for Standardization, ranking among the top global operators. At the same time, China Telecom has given full play to the synergistic advantages of the RDD (Basic Research R, Applied Technology R&D and Operational Development D) system to vigorously promote the transformation and industrialization of achievements. In recent years, the number of patents of China Unicom has increased significantly. It is understood that at present, China Unicom has 16,893 public patent applications, 8,556 authorized patents, 5,623 patents under review, and 84.1% of authorized invention patents.
Since 2022, China Unicom has announced the cumulative number of authorized patents in the monthly data, highlighting the importance attached to patents, and the cumulative number of authorized patents has gradually increased every year. The cumulative number of authorized patents in 2022 will be 1,666, and the cumulative number of authorized patents in 2023 will reach 2,287, an increase of 37% year-on-year. As of the end of March 2024, the cumulative number of authorized patents in the year is 362. In 2023, China Unicom will lead 40 international standard projects, undertake 12 national key projects, make breakthroughs in 11 key technology fields, and achieve the industry's first low-orbit non-land mobile network laboratory business verification. In 2023, China Mobile will actively promote R&D in the fields of computing network, artificial intelligence, 6G, big data, capability middle platform and security, creatively build a new information infrastructure of "computing power network", and launch "Jiutian" generative artificial intelligence, with a R&D investment ratio significantly higher than the average of 1% for telecom operators.
Each has its own specialty
In terms of key areas, China Telecom focuses on the four major technology directions of cloud, network, artificial intelligence and quantum/security, and focuses on seven strategic emerging industries, including cloud computing and computing power, new generation information and communication, big data, artificial intelligence, security, quantum and digital platform. According to the person in charge of China Telecom's patents, China Telecom's patent layout is based on the attributes of communication networks and mobile networks, and in recent years, it has also actively deployed in cloud computing, quantum communication, AI and other aspects, with remarkable results. As a long-term enterprise in the security industry chain, China Unicom's patent contribution to the network security industry is particularly prominent. According to Feng Lihua of China Unicom Research Institute, at the beginning of 2023, the National Cybersecurity Industry Intellectual Property Operation Center will be established, closely focusing on enhancing the stability and competitiveness of the industrial chain and supply chain, focusing on cultivating intellectual property operation service capabilities, and promoting high-quality creation, high-level layout and high-efficiency application of intellectual property. In the first quarter of 2024, China Unicom published 345 patents in cybersecurity, ranking among the top 10 in the world. Focusing on the development of 5G patents, China Mobile established the 5G Industry Intellectual Property Operation Center in Beijing in 2021 to improve the high-quality intellectual property output and high-efficiency application mechanism of the 5G industry, promote the collaborative operation of intellectual property rights in the industrial chain, and effectively promote the transformation and application of intellectual property rights. In 2022, the 5G Center was selected as the first batch of supporters of the Beijing Patent Transformation Special Project, providing strong support for China Mobile to carry out the construction of the "5G Center" and promote the operation of intellectual property rights in the 5G industry.
Talent is key
Talent is one of the most critical elements of IP development. China Telecom increased investment in new factors, and its R&D expenses increased from 4.7 billion yuan in 2020 to 13.1 billion yuan in 2023, an increase of 175.6% in three years. We will continue to increase the introduction of high-end scientific and technological talents, and the number of leading scientific and technological talents will reach 138 in 2023, an increase of 392.9% in three years. Continued to increase the transformation of the workforce, with nearly 33,000 R&D personnel, an increase of 174.5% in three years, and the proportion increased from 4.2% in 2020 to 11.8%. Efforts will be made to build a digital foundation for independent control of key core technologies, and multi-element integration will accelerate the construction of digital information infrastructure with cloud-network integration as the core feature. In 2023, China Unicom's scientific and technological innovation personnel will account for 40%, and it has built a team of more than 40 high-level scientific and technological talents, including leading talents and experts in the field, and more than 1,000 expert talents. The number of China Mobile's R&D personnel will reach 46,000 in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 16.9%. Strengthen the integration of key layouts into the national talent project, evaluate and hire group-level chief scientists and group-level chief experts, focus on internal training and external introduction, and "ten hundred thousand" provincial experts have exceeded 5,000, and more than 10,000 outstanding engineers have been selected and stored in the four major fields of network, IT, cloud and security. It is not enough to have the guarantee of talents, Feng Lihua said that it is necessary to promote the deep integration of patent work and R&D work, and realize the mutual coordination and promotion of patent and R&D work by jointly mining innovation points and tracking the application and layout of core patents.
Future-oriented: Promote high-quality patents
The theme of this year's World Intellectual Property Day is "Transformation and Application of Intellectual Property for High-quality Development". The intellectual property work of enterprises cannot exist independently, and is closely related to the relationship between R&D and products. In the past, operators' patents showed the characteristics of extensive development, and how to solve the problem of patent transformation and application was the biggest challenge faced by operators' patents. Feng Lihua said that the essence of patent operation lies in the pursuit of maximizing the value of innovation, maximizing the degree of industrial autonomy and controllability, and maximizing market share. To this end, it is necessary to have a precise strategic vision and efficient execution ability in all aspects of patent application, layout, and application, so as to ensure that patents can truly exert their due market control and economic value. "Essentially, the purpose of patent output is to be used", which has been fully reflected in the patent transformation action plan implemented by China Unicom. Combined with the development of strategic emerging industries, future industrial development, and the requirements of high-quality patent development, China Unicom has formulated the "Special Action Plan for the Transformation and Application of China Unicom's Patents". In a series of work such as patent licensing and patent pooling, China Unicom has made remarkable progress, and the overall transformation work has reached a new level. In the past, there were many applied patents among the patents submitted by operators, but with the enhancement of operators' R&D strength and the increase in basic R&D investment, more basic patents will appear in the future patent technology layout. Feng Lihua said that in the process of transforming patents to quality, through high-quality patent special actions, high-quality patent years, and high-quality patent challenge target activities, the cultural atmosphere of high-quality patents will be improved, and the quantity and quality of standard essential patents and patent industrialization will be improved. Undoubtedly, increasing the proportion of basic technologies and underlying patents, and increasing the patent layout of new industries and future industries are the goals and trends of operators' future patent layout.
On this year's Intellectual Property Day, the all-media of "Communication Industry News" specially planned the special topic of "Communication Intellectual Property, a New Quality Productivity Booster". For more information, please refer to the 13th issue of Communications Industry News.
Written by: Cui Liangliang
Edit: Liangliang
Guidance: Xin Wen
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