Graphene: Patent surge reveals global race

Graphene could find uses in computing, energy,
 medicine and other fields

A surge in research into the novel material graphene reveals an intensifying global contest to lead a potential industrial revolution.

Latest figures show a sharp rise in patents filed to claim rights over different aspects of graphene since 2007, with a further spike last year.

China leads the field as the country with the most patents.

The South Korean electronics giant Samsung stands out as the company with most to its name.

The figures, compiled by a UK-based patent consultancy, CambridgeIP, highlight how Britain, which pioneered research into graphene, may be falling behind its rivals.

Only identified in 2004, graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms making it the thinnest material ever created and offering huge promise for a host of applications from IT to energy to medicine.

Nationality	Number of graphene patent publications
SOURCE: Q TANNOCK, CAMBRIDGEIP, 2013
Chinese entities	2,204
US entities	1,754
South Korean entities	1,160
United Kingdom entities	54

- BBC.co.uk