Global Influence of Inventions and Technology Sovereignty

We analyze the technology sovereignty of Europe, the US, China, Japan, and Korea, representing the world’s leading innovators. By examining citations from the universe of PCT patent applications between 2000 and 2020, we determine the strength and direction of inventions’ influence at global and bilateral levels to assess each geographic area’s technology sovereignty. The US shows superior technology sovereignty through its leadership in global and bilateral influence. While the US and Europe are highly integrated, their global positions differ as Europe depends on all geographic areas except China. Although China has filed the most patent applications in recent years, bilaterally it remains dependent on all other geographic areas. Moreover, only Japan and Korea show a recent decline in their global influence, despite previously holding a leading position.

Müller, Elisabeth and Philipp Böing (2024), Global Influence of Inventions and Technology Sovereignty, ZEW Discussion Paper No. 24-024, Mannheim.