TOKYO — China has surpassed Japan to become the most competitive country when it comes to hydrogen-related patents, a new study has found, bolstering its position as a leader in carbon-free energy combined with its edge in solar and wind.
Tokyo-based research company Astamuse, in which Nikkei has a stake, looked at roughly 180,000 hydrogen-related patents filed between 2013 and 2022 in five fields: production, storage, shipment and supply, safety management, and usage. They were scored for competitiveness based on feasibility, remaining duration of legal protection, and other factors.
