PEMFC Techno-Economic Patent Snapshot 2026
The PEMFC techno-economic patent space is a nascent, highly concentrated niche with only 5 patent families in scope, dominated by a single applicant. Filing activity is sparse and episodic, signaling an early-stage field with limited but growing commercial interest.
Pohang Iron & Steel commands the entire top tier in a nascent field
Pohang Iron & Steel Co Ltd holds the leading position among all ranked applicants, accounting for the entirety of the top tier in this small corpus. The Trustees of Princeton University and Liquid Light Inc each hold a single patent record, rounding out the only three identifiable applicants in the space.
The top five filers collectively represent 100% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total, indicating extreme concentration with virtually no competitive spread. There is no meaningful second tier at this stage.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | POHANG IRON & STEEL CO LTD | 5 | |
| 2 | The Trustees of Princeton University | 1 | |
| 3 | Liquid Light Inc | 1 |
Pohang Iron & Steel’s dominance, rooted in steel and alloy processing expertise applied to fuel cell components, suggests the field is being approached primarily from a materials science angle rather than from systems integration or electrochemistry specialists.
Given the small corpus size and publication lag affecting the most recent 18–24 months, the apparent gap in 2023 and 2025 filings should not be interpreted as a structural decline in interest. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A single 2022 pulse dominates activity; H01M fuel cell classifications lead the technology mix
Filing activity is highly episodic, with a burst of four patent records in 2022 and isolated filings in other years. The technology composition spans fuel cell, metallurgical, and surface treatment classes, reflecting a materials-intensive research approach.
Annual filing trend
Four of the five patent records appeared in 2022, with one additional record in 2024. Years outside this window show no filings. Given standard publication lag, the 2024 and later period should be treated as potentially under-counted rather than indicative of a stall.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01M (batteries, cells and fuel cells) leads the IPC branch mix, followed by C25F (electrolytic removal and cleaning), C22C (alloys), and C21D (heat treatment of metals). This profile reflects a strong metallurgical foundation, with nanotechnology (B82Y) appearing as the sparsest branch.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Gas phase electrochemical reduction of carbon diox…
Methods and systems for gas phase electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide are disclosed. A method for gas phase electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide may include, but is not limited to, steps (A) to (C). Step (A) may include introducing a substantially gas phase fuel to an anode flow field of an anode of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gas phase electrochemical reduction of carbon diox… | 98 |
| 2 | Water and energy management system for a fuel cell | 79 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
Assignee snapshot from the current evidence set
The applicants below are visible in this query result. Because the evidence set is relatively small, read this section as a directional snapshot rather than a full competitive ranking.
Pohang Iron & Steel Co Ltd
Pohang Iron & Steel holds the top position with 5 patent records, covering electrolytic surface treatment (C25F), fuel cell components (H01M), and alloy development (C22C). The applicant is flagged as a new entrant — all activity is recent, reflecting a strategic pivot toward fuel cell materials rather than a long-standing IP position. Their trajectory shows concentrated, burst-style filing rather than sustained cadence.
patent records: 5Liquid Light Inc
Liquid Light Inc holds 1 patent record, with technical focus spanning fuel cell and battery classifications (H01M8, H01M4) and nanotechnology applications (B82Y30). This positions them as a materials-chemistry specialist rather than a systems integrator. No momentum trend data beyond a single record is available, so trajectory cannot be assessed.
patent records: 1Frequently asked questions
There are 5 patent families in scope based on the current corpus. This is a very small dataset, and the field should be treated as nascent rather than mature.
Pohang Iron & Steel Co Ltd leads with 5 patent records, representing the entirety of the top tier. The Trustees of Princeton University and Liquid Light Inc each hold 1 patent record.
The United States leads with 3 patent records, followed by Europe via the EPO with 2 records. Canada, India, and WIPO PCT each carry 1 record.
H01M (batteries, cells and fuel cells) is the leading class, followed by C25F (electrolytic removal and cleaning) and C22C (alloys). Nanotechnology (B82Y) is the sparsest class with only 1 patent record.
Filing activity is episodic rather than trend-driven. Four records appeared in 2022 and one in 2024, with no filings in other years of the observed window. A lifecycle stage cannot be determined from the current evidence. The most recent 18–24 months are subject to publication lag and should not be read as a final count.
No co-applicant relationships are recorded in the available evidence. All filings appear to originate from individual organizations acting independently.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. PatSnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.