The study shows that innovation in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies has accelerated significantly worldwide. Between 2010 and 2018, global patent filings for smart connected objects in relation to the Internet of Things, big data, 5G, and artificial intelligence (AI), grew at an average annual rate of almost 20%, nearly five times faster than the average in all technology fields.

The study looks at all international patent families (IPFs) related to 4IR worldwide between 2000 and 2018. Each of these represents a high-value invention for which patent applications have been filed at two or more patent offices globally. The study finds that nearly 40,000 new IPFs were filed for these technologies in 2018 alone. This means they accounted for more than 10% of all patenting activity worldwide that year. To access the study, click here.