Korea Ranks No.1 Globally in Growth Rate of Patent Applications for '3D Printing Construction Technology'

South Korea is leading the global increase in patent applications related to '3D printing construction technology.' The global construction market using this technology is estimated to grow rapidly from $3.4 billion (KRW 4.7 trillion) in 2022 to $500 billion (KRW 716 trillion) by 2032.

3D Printing Construction Technology and Patent Application Trends by Country. Provided by the Korean Intellectual Property Office

The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) analyzed the global patent status filed with major patent offices including South Korea, the United States, China, the European Union, and Japan (hereinafter IP5), and found that patent applications related to 3D printing construction technology recorded an average annual growth rate of 45.3% from 2012 to 2021.

Among them, South Korea saw a sharp increase in related patent applications from 8 cases in 2017 to 231 cases in 2021. During this period, South Korea ranked first in the world in the growth rate of patent applications related to 3D printing construction technology. In the 2017-2021 country-specific growth rate rankings, South Korea was at 13.0%, followed by China at 9.2%, the United States at 9.1%, and Germany at 7.5%, occupying the top positions.

Patent applications related to 3D printing construction technology in the IP5 generally began to increase around 2014. This is analyzed as the effect of governments competing to introduce policies encouraging (supporting) the 3D printing industry.

For example, in 2013, then-President Obama of the United States mentioned 3D printing technology as a representative of the manufacturing revolution, boosting the related industry, while South Korea established a 3D printing industry development strategy in 2014. Subsequently, China joined the competition by establishing a national 3D printing industry development promotion plan in 2015.

As a result, China secured a total of 533 patent applications (38.6% of the total) related to 3D printing construction technology from 2012 to 2021, followed by the United States (276 cases, 20%) and South Korea (167 cases, 12.1%).

Notably, while South Korea ranked third in patent application status over the past 10 years, it demonstrated strong momentum by ranking first with an average annual growth rate of 13% from 2017 to 2021. Based on this, KIPO expects the domestic construction industry to achieve faster growth in the field of 3D printing construction technology.

Status of 3D Printing Construction Technology by Applicant Type by Country. Provided by the Korean Intellectual Property Office

Research and development in the field of 3D printing construction technology is generally led by companies. By country, the proportion of patent applications by companies was high in Germany (97%), France (96.4%), and the United States (83.3%).

In contrast, in South Korea, companies (34.7%) and universities (30.5%) lead patent applications, and various entities such as individuals (17.4%) and public institutions (17.4%) support research and development related to 3D printing construction technology.

In the IP5 ranking of frequent applicants related to 3D printing construction technology, construction-related companies such as ▲Swiss ‘SIKA’ ▲U.S. ‘GE’ ▲Chinese ‘CSCEC’ ranked first to third.

In South Korea, various research institutes, universities, and companies such as the Construction Technology Research Institute (19th), Yonsei University (21st), Sejong University (42nd), and companies like Highsys (tied 50th) and Diwontech (tied 50th) appeared in the rankings.

Han Ji-hye, head of the Smart Manufacturing Examination Team at KIPO, said, “3D printing construction is an eco-friendly construction method that produces almost no construction waste and is attracting attention as a future advanced technology capable of building structures in environments difficult for humans to access, such as the moon and the seabed. KIPO will devote itself to supporting the industry so that South Korea can lead the global 3D printing construction field.”