China's nanotechnology patents top the world

A recent white paper reports that China holds 43% of the world's nanotechnology patents, with 464,000 patents granted over the past 25 years. This exceeds the combined totals from the U.S., Japan, and South Korea. Key areas for China's patents include semiconductors, biomedicine, and new materials. The Chinese Academy of Sciences leads globally with 23,400 patents.

As of May 2025, there are over 34,500 nanotechnology enterprises in China. The global market for nanotechnology is projected to reach $1.5 trillion by the end of 2025. The information was shared at a recent nanotechnology forum in Beijing.