QUANTUM INDEX REPORT
1. Patents
The quantum technology patent landscape has shown remarkable growth and concentration over recent years. Between 2016-2021, quantum computing patent family filings increased by over 300%, while total quantum technology patents grew five-fold from 2014 to 2024.
Corporations and universities lead innovation efforts, accounting for 91% of quantum computing patents, with corporations holding 54% and universities 37% of total filings.
Geographically, China leads with 60% of patents as of 2024, followed by the United States and Japan. The sector has evolved through distinct phases, from early development between 1999-2004 to rapid expansion between 2013-2019.
Recent trends from 2020 to 2023 show universities reached a peak in total patent filings in 2023 while corporate patents showed a decline as of 2023, suggesting potential market adjustments.
As quantum technologies transition from the lab to the marketplace, patents and other forms of Intellectual Property (IP) are becoming increasingly important strategic assets in the race for quantum leadership. As well as serving as key indicators of general innovation activity, the growth in volume of quantum-related patent filings reflects both the maturing of research efforts and the intensifying competition among companies, institutions, and nations. The quantum IP landscape is being shaped not only by traditional hardware systems and foundational qubit architectures but also by new frontiers such as quantum error correction[1], hybrid classical-quantum algorithms[2], and novel materials and qubit fabrication processes.
This report tracks patent data based on patent families. A patent family consists of multiple patent applications covering the same fundamental invention, filed in different countries. Therefore patent families serve as a better metric for analyzing new technology developments because they provide a comprehensive view of innovation scope and global market intentions. Unlike individual patents, patent families account for variations in filing requirements across jurisdictions. This interconnected structure allows researchers to track how inventors protect their IP across international borders, revealing both the breadth of innovation and possible geographic expansion plans. Furthermore, patent families help normalize comparisons between regions with different patent systems and requirements, offering a more accurate picture of global innovation trends.
The data for this chapter was provided by Accenture Research in cooperation with The Quantum Insider.
1.1. Patents by entity
Quantum Computing Patent Families by origin
1999-2023
Corporate entities lead the landscape with 54% of total, followed by universities with 37%. Together, these two sectors account for 91% of all quantum computing patents, demonstrating a high concentration around these two categories. Individual inventors hold the third position with 3.6%, closely followed by government institutions at 3.5%. Nonprofit organizations contribute 1.5%, while hospitals and law firms show minimal participation.
Corporations have emerged as the dominant force in quantum computing patent development, demonstrating significant investment in intellectual property protection. Recent data shows that global players such as IBM, Google, Microsoft, Intel, and Baidu are among the top patent filers.[3]
Quantum Computing Patent Families by origin, by year
1999-2023
Over the 2016–2021 period, quantum computing patent family filings increased by over 300%.
During the early development period from 1999 to 2004, initial patents came primarily from corporate and university sectors, while government entities entered the patent landscape in 2002. This slow-growth period saw annual totals remain under 150 patent families, indicating the challenges associated with building research capabilities in the nascent field.
The transition period from 2005 to 2012 marked a significant shift in patent activity. Beginning in 2005, corporate patents jumped notably. Individual inventors began making more substantial contributions after 2008.
A period of rapid expansion occurred from 2013 to 2019 driven almost entirely by corporations and universities. Recent trends from 2020 to 2023 show continued evolution in patent activity. The corporate sector reached its maximum of 1,570 patents in 2020, while universities continued strong growth to reach 1,668 patents in 2023. Government participation accelerated notably after 2019. 2023 also marked the first significant decline across most categories except for universities, suggesting potential market adjustments. Throughout this entire period, universities and corporations consistently led patent development efforts, maintaining their positions as primary drivers of quantum computing innovation.
1.2. Patents by country
Quantum Technology Patents by country
2014-2024
In the period 2014-2024, the total number of quantum technology patent filings grew significantly, representing a five-fold increase over this period. The growth has been particularly pronounced since 2020.
China emerged as the dominant location for quantum technology patent filing, growing from 1,011 patents in 2014 to 7,308 in 2024. The United States maintained second position throughout the period, increasing from 613 to 2,301 patents, while the World Patent Office secured third place, growing from 265 to 1,072 patents.
Analysing growth patterns, during the 2014-2016 period, the total number of patents grew moderately. This period saw relatively balanced growth across regions, with China holding a lead over the United States. A significant acceleration occurred in 2017, marking the beginning of a more rapid growth phase. This surge was driven by China with an expansion from 1,726 to 2,560 patents, accompanied by increases in the United States and WPO. The period from 2018 to 2020 saw sustained growth momentum, this period marked the emergence of India as a new player.
The most recent years (2021-2024) have witnessed continued strong growth rates. China’s leadership became increasingly pronounced, while the United States maintained strong growth, and a new player, India demonstrated accelerated expansion. Throughout 2014-2024, the geographic distribution of patent activity has become increasingly concentrated. China’s market share expanded from 42% in 2014 to 60% in 2024, while the United States maintained the second place with a relatively stable share around 19%, and the World Patent Office held steady at approximately 9%. Together, these three entities controlled 88% of all quantum computing patents in 2024, indicating a highly concentrated intellectual property landscape in this technology sector. It is important to note that, in terms of individual countries, Japan is placed as the third in total patent filing numbers after China and the US across this period.
According to recent patent research reports by QuIC[4] and by QEDC[5], China has established itself as the global leader in quantum communications patents. The country’s strong emphasis on quantum communications research likely resulted in significant patent activity, with Chinese institutions leading the field. Organizations such as QuantumCTek, Ruban Quantum Technology and Beijing University of Posts & Telecom are among the major patent holders in this domain.[6]
QED-C research on patents states that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued more quantum computing patents than any other country’s office, and that the Chinese patent office has issued the most quantum communications patents.
The disparity in patent numbers between China and the US highlights the competitive dynamics in quantum technology development, with each nation pursuing different aspects of the quantum technology ecosystem with different prioritization levels.
1.3. Future Research
We intend to provide the community with ongoing monitoring of the rapidly evolving quantum technology patent landscape. We aim to investigate geographic and market concentration evolution, tracking emerging patent hubs and their technological specializations. For future iterations of this section, we are interested in breaking down patents by quantum technology subfields and analyzing patent families across different technical classifications. Stakeholders interested in sharing data regarding these aspects of the quantum technology patent landscape are encouraged to contact us.
You can reach us at contact@qir.mit.edu
How to cite this work:
Ruane, J., Kiesow, E., Galatsanos, J., Dukatz, C., Blomquist, E., Shukla, P., “The Quantum Index Report 2025”, MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, May 2025.
The Quantum Index Report 2025 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0 Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International.
Methodology
Patent Section Methodology:
The data in this section was provided in collaboration with Accenture and The Quantum Insider. The data on “patents by origin” is based on patent families and was acquired by Accenture research from LexisNexis Patent database based on select IPC codes relevant to quantum technologies. No screening was made regarding international patent families. The data on “patents by country 2014-2024” was collected and provided by The Quantum Insider directly from the relevant patent offices based on select keywords. The extensive methodology of this chapter can be found in QIR Appendix.
References
References
[1] Matt Swayne, ‘US Leads in Steady Rise of Patents Covering Key Quantum Performance Measures’ (The Quantum Insider, 30 April 2024) <https://thequantuminsider.com/2024/04/30/us-leads-in-steady-rise-of-patents-covering-key-quantum-performance-measures/> accessed 3 April 2025.
[2] Yudong Cao, Jonathan P Olson and Eric R Anschuetz, ‘Hybrid Quantum-Classical Computer System and Method for Performing Function Inversion’ <https://patents.google.com/patent/US20200394547A1/en> accessed 3 April 2025.
[3] ‘A Portrait of the Global Patent Landscape in Quantum Technologies’ (QuIC 2024) <https://www.euroquic.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/QuIC-White-Paper-IPT-January-2024.pdf> accessed 4 February 2025.
[4] ibid.
[5] Elliott J Mason QED-C, ‘State of Quantum Industry Innovation – What Patents Tell Us’ (11 December 2024) <https://quantumconsortium.org/blog/state-of-quantum-industry-innovation-what-patents-tell-us/> accessed 27 March 2025.
[6] ibid.