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Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has ranked second globally and first among Japanese firms in terms of international patent applications filed in 2019.

According to the Switzerland-based World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO, 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 IP and technical-standards strategies are closely integrated with the company’s business and R&D strategies.

For example, 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 centres and affiliated companies

Critical IP-related initiatives are formulated to support mainstay businesses and important R&D projects.

In a statement, Mitsubishi Electric said 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.