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Mitsubishi Electric Ranked 2nd Globally and 1st Among Japanese Firms in International Patent Applications in 2019Global intellectual-property initiatives linked to business and R&D strategies

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 3349

TOKYO, April 8, 2020 - Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced today that it has been ranked second globally and first among Japanese firms in terms of international patent applications filed in 2019, according to an announcement released by the Switzerland-based World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on April 8th. The high rankings reflect Mitsubishi Electric's positioning of intellectual property (IP) as an important business resource and its aggressive linkage of IP activities and business and R&D strategies to support the company's sustainable growth.

Mitsubishi Electric has been actively filing international patent applications in line with the continuing globalization of its business, ranking among the top 10 internationally for the past six consecutive years and first among Japanese companies for five consecutive years. In recent years, the company's patent applications in support of IoT- and AI-supported solutions have been particularly prominent.

Mitsubishi Electric's international patent applications and rankings

Mitsubishi Electric's Initiatives to Further IP Development

1)Business and R&D strategies support stronger intellectual property group-wide
- IP and technical-standards strategies are closely integrated with the company's business and R&D strategies.
- The Head Office IP Division, which is under the direct control of the president, coordinates group-wide activities of IP divisions in factories, R&D centers and affiliated companies
2)Global IP activities and international-standards strategies
- Critical IP-related initiatives are formulated to support mainstay businesses and important R&D projects.
- IP activities are being accelerated globally by filing patents proactively, prior to undertaking business development in promising emerging countries.
- Resident officers are assigned to manage IP activities in the U.S., Europe, China and Southeast Asia.
- The company is emphasizing patent acquisition in support of international standards (e.g., standard-essential patents) and in fields where international competition is intensifying, which is helping to strengthen product competitiveness and grow market share.