- According to the latest patent leader-board released by the All-China Federation of Industry and CommerceACFIC, JinkoSolar is the highest patent holder for 2023 in the solar category, with a massive 4,100 patents registered and 2,280 granted.
- In overall rankings, Jinkosolar was the sole solar company listed in the TOP 50, ranked #37, followed by Longi at #309, JA Solar at #344, and Sungrow at #455
- Jinko plans to make money off its patent portfolio in the future.
As the largest holder of TOPCon patents, the majority of JinkoSolar’s 460 TOPCon patents have been commercialized in company’s flagship Tiger Neo panels. To facilitate the industry’s technology advancement, JinkoSolar has granted two top 10 solar companies access to its TOPCon patents.
According to the report, JinkoSolar was the second-largest spender on R&D in 2023 and has 8 R&D centers with 4 located outside China. “While we will remain an intellectual property powerhouse with one of the strongest solar PV patent portfolios, as part of our innovation strategy, we are taking a more focused and selective approach to patenting,” said Dany Qian, Vice President of JinkoSolar.
Patents are seen as a reflection of a company’s capacity and commitment for innovation. Increasing awareness and respect for intellectual property, and patenting an innovation or new technology, are considered necessary to secure research and development (R&D) efforts, which will then eventually lead to economic gains.
Monetise patents
Dany explained that JinkoSolar currently uses its patents “defensively,” or as a way to dissuade rivals from filing patent infringement lawsuits by threatening to file its own patent suits. But, Dany also said that Jinkosolar will open up its patent portfolio for licensing. In fact, it has granted two of the top 10 solar companies access to its TOPCon patents, driven largely by these companies’ desire to produce top-of-the-line and high-end TOPCon products.
Patents, particularly in the solar industry, have gained increasing importance in recent years as top companies have engaged in costly legal battles in order to assert their patent dominance and obtain patent licensing revenues from rivals.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
