Singapore's robust IP ecosystem sees surge in patent filings by China firms

Figure up an average 55% a year over three years to 1,554 last year; Republic's strong dispute resolution framework also a draw

Claudia Chong

Published Thu, Mar 5, 2020 · 09:50 PM

Intellectual property

Singapore

CHINA companies are increasingly filing patents in Singapore, spurred on by their South-east Asian expansion and the strength of Singapore's intellectual property (IP) regime and alternative dispute resolution framework.

Data requested from the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) showed that the number of patent applications filed by Chinese companies from 2017 to 2019 increased an average of 55.2 per cent each year to reach 1,554 last year.

Over the three-year period, the percentage of China firms against all overseas companies filing patents here also grew from 6.9 per cent to 12.5 per cent.

Total patents filed by foreign companies have b…