The Middle Kingdom continues to gain ground in the research and development of the robotics industry and can hardly be caught up. This development is clearly visible when looking at the total number of patents in this field. China leads the world in this area by a significant margin, having filed nearly three times as many robotics patents as the United States over the past 15 years, according to a recent study by the Center for Security and Emerging Technology.
Thus, China has long since overtaken the United States, which used to lead in granted robotics patents and now ranks only fourth, and continues to dynamically surge ahead. The reason: robotics is part of the strategic plan Made in China 2025, in which global leadership is sought in important future technologies. In addition, intellectual property legislation in the U.S. faces challenges in adapting to future technologies such as robotics, AI or 5G technology.
This development could have far-reaching consequences for Western robotics companies if they cannot keep up with the high speed of innovation of Chinese companies.
China Intellectual Property Blog 