China has overtaken the EU as the largest applicant for international patent families in the power grid technology sector, according to a study by the European Patent Office and the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The increase in patent applications is due to the growth of innovation in China, which is leading the growth in critical infrastructure innovation.

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said China is driving growth in critical infrastructure innovation and increasing competitive pressure on other regions.

China became the world’s fourth largest country in terms of the number of patents granted, with a 12 per cent share of the global total from 2011 to 2022.

The United States is in third place with a 20 percent share, while the European Union and Japan are in first and second place with 22 percent each.