Beer and cider companies filed almost a third fewer applications for patents in the year to the end of June, data suggests.
Between 1 July 2021 and 30 July 2022, brewers and cider makers lodged a combined 900 applications for patents to be approved, GlobalData, Just Drinks’ parent, suggests.
In the corresponding period a year later, that number dropped by 33% to 604, the research and intelligence group said.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics database contains global figures on the patents filed – and granted – by businesses across multiple sectors. Each patent is classified by theme, including those linked to areas such as the environment or health and wellness.
Most of the patents filed in the beer and cider categories in both of the years under review were classified as being related to the ‘environment’, GlobalData said. Similar to the overall number of applications, there was decline in environment-related patents being filed, falling from 96 to 73.
Looking at where the patents were filed, China topped the list in both years, with 253 in the year to the end of June 2022 and 160 a year later.
In the most recent 12 months, the US usurped Japan in second place.
Each week, Just Drinks’ journalists analyse data on patent filings and grants that illustrate innovation trends in our sector. These patent signals show where the leading companies are focusing their research and development investment – and why. We uncover key innovation areas in the sector and the themes that drive them.
This new, thematic patents coverage is powered by our underlying Disruptor data, which tracks all major deals, patents, company filings, hiring patterns and social media buzz across our sectors.
