TIPO releases statistics of top 100 patent filers for 2025

　On February 26, 2026, TIPO released the statistical rankings for patent applications and patent grants for 2025.  Among resident applicants for invention patents, TSMC stick to the top position as the most prolific resident applicant for the 10^th consecutive year by filing a total of 1,485 applications throughout 2025, while US-based Applied Materials also stayed at the top spot with a total of 1,088 applications as the top non-resident applicant, marking a record high.  Among research institutions and universities, ITRI (the Industrial Technology Research Institute) and National Cheng Kung University outshined their peers by filing 328 and 134 applications, respectively, in 2025.  As to invention patent grants, TSMC and Applied Materials each took the lead as the top resident applicant and the top non-resident applicant with 1,543 patents granted and 684 patent granted, respectively.  

1.  TSMC extends lead in invention patent applications to the 10th year. 

　TSMC has retained the top spot in invention patent applications for ten consecutive years since 2016, with 1,485 filings throughout 2025, up 5% from a year earlier, trailed by AUO Corporation with 397 filings, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. with 340 filings, Nanya Technology Corporation with 328 filings, ITRI with 328 filings, Inventec Corporation with 316 filings, Realtek with 286 filings, Delta Electronics with 280 filings, MediaTek Inc with 269 filings, and Innolux Corporation with 235 filings.  Among the top 10 applicants, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., ranked 3^rd, exhibited the strongest year-on-year growth at 31% among the top 10 resident applicants, while 8^th-ranked Delta Electronics, Inc. hit its new record in annual filing volume in 18 years.  

　In addition, among the top 20 resident invention patent applicants, China Steel Corporation, coming in 14^th, filed 143 applications to match its historical high previously recorded in 2013.  Meanwhile, 15^th-ranked Wistron Corporation filed 141 applications, also attaining its highest annual total in nearly 11 years.  

2.  Applied Materials continues its dominance among non-resident applicants in invention patent filings.  

　As to the non-resident applicants, Applied Materials has taken the top spot for two straight years with a total of 1,088 invention patent applications.  Tokyo Electron Limited leapt to the second place with 773 applications, surpassing Samsung Electronics with 741 applications, Korea-based Coupang with 675 applications, and Qualcomm with 570 applications.  Rounding out the top 10 list were Kioxia Corporation with 454 applications, Nitto Denko Corporation with 406 applications, Shin-Etsu Chemical with 359 applications, Lam Research Corporation with 276 applications, and Resonac Holdings Corporation with 270 applications.  Among the top 10 non-resident applicants, the 6^th-place Kioxia Corporation exhibited the strongest year-on-year increase by 105%.  

　Among the top 20 non-resident applicants, 9 of them set their all-time highs; they were Applied Materials (ranked 1^st), Tokyo Electron Limited (ranked 2^nd), Shin-Etsu Chemical (ranked 8^th), Lam Research Corporation (ranked 9^th), Resonac Holdings Corporation (ranked 10^th), Screen Holdings (ranked 11^th with 263 applications), Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (ranked 15^th with 203 applications), Wonderland Switzerland (ranked 16^th with 198 applications), and Korea-based SK Hynix (ranked 19^th with 153 applications).  

3.  ITRI remains leading research institution for 19 straight years and National Cheng Kung University stays at top of the university rankings for 4 consecutive years.  

　In the research institutions sector, there were four of them ranked among the top 100 resident invention patent applicants, and ITRI finished 4^th with 328 filings, maintaining its crown for the 19^th consecutive year since 2007.  

　Among the 22 universities named in the top 100 resident applicants, National Cheng Kung University surpassed its peers to claim the top honor with 134 applications for 4 straight years, while Ming Chi University of Technology ranked 2^nd with 86 applications to make its debut among the top 10 university applicants.  Rounding out this year’s top 10 university applicants were National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (with 83 applications), National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (with 73 applications), National Chung Hsing University (with 70 applications), National Chin-Yi University of Technology (with 69 applications), National Tsing Hua University (with 67 applications), National Sun Yat-Sen University (with 61 applications), National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (with 60 applications), and National Taiwan University (with 60 applications).  

　In regard to the overall patent applications, National Cheng Kung University advanced to the top position among universities, ahead of Taipei City University of Science and Technology (with 140 applications), whose applications were mostly filed for utility model patents.  (Released 2026.02.26)   
/CCS