IFI Claims Analysis Report
Asian Companies Account for 60% of All Patents
Samsung Electronics secured more patents in the United States last year than any other company worldwide, ranking first for the fourth consecutive year.
According to a recently published report by U.S. patent information firm IFI Claims on the 8th, a total of 323,272 patents were granted in the United States in 2025. Of these, Samsung Electronics obtained 7,054 patents, accounting for more than 2% of all granted patents. This represents an increase of about 11% from the previous year (6,377 patents).
Major conglomerates, including Samsung affiliates, also showed a notable upward trend. Samsung Display ranked fifth with 2,859 patents, while LG Electronics came in tenth with 2,284 patents. LG Display ranked 30th with 932 patents. LG Energy Solution secured 981 patents, a 50% increase from the previous year, placing it 27th. This was a jump of 22 places, the largest ranking increase among the companies surveyed. SK Hynix, with 844 patents, finished in 37th place.
Automakers also put up a strong showing. Hyundai Motor ranked 16th with 1,631 patents, climbing three places, and Kia finished 17th with 1,606 patents, up five spots.
In contrast, IBM in the United States fell out of the top 10 and remained in 11th place. IBM had maintained the top spot for 29 consecutive years through 2021, but its ranking slipped after it began implementing a selective patent filing strategy.
By country, Korean companies registered 26,147 patents, an increase of more than 8% from the previous year, continuing their growth trend. Notably, Asian companies accounted for about 60% of all patents, indicating that the leadership in technological innovation is shifting from the West to the East.
The number of patent applications filed in the United States last year decreased by 9% from the previous year, marking the lowest level since 2019. However, eco-friendly technologies such as battery cell operation, electrolysis, and recycling showed the most remarkable growth, leading analysts to conclude that research and development related to the energy transition is gaining further momentum.
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