Reverse Osmosis Desalination Patent Landscape 2026
Reverse Osmosis Desalination Patent Landscape in 2026
The reverse osmosis desalination patent field spans 275 patent families and is moderately concentrated, with a mix of specialist technology firms, academic institutions, and industrial players sharing the top ranks. Activity has plateaued near its 2017 peak on a multi-year basis, signalling a mature field where incremental differentiation—particularly in energy recovery, membrane chemistry, and alternative pumping—remains the primary avenue for new filings.
Desalitech leads a fragmented field with no single dominant bloc
Desalitech holds the top position among ranked applicants with 31 patent records, followed by Tianjin Normal University at 21 and Sulzer Management AG at 16. The field includes a diverse mix of corporate technology developers, university research groups, and national research institutes across multiple geographies.
The top five filers account for 22% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers, indicating moderate concentration. The gap between the leader and the second-ranked applicant is meaningful but not insurmountable, and the tier below the top five features several players clustered between 9 and 13 patent records, suggesting a competitive mid-tier.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desalitech | 31 | |
| 2 | Tianjin Normal University | 21 | |
| 3 | Sulzer Management AG | 16 | |
| 4 | Sulzer Chemtech AG | 13 | |
| 5 | Purdue Research Foundation | 12 | |
| 6 | IDE Technologies Ltd | 11 | |
| 7 | Oceanwell Co. | 11 | |
| 8 | Hangzhou Water Treatment Technology Development Center | 10 | |
| 9 | Nagare Membranes LLC | 10 | |
| 10 | Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research | 9 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Changzhou University | 9 | |
| 12 | NanoASIS Technologies Inc. | 8 | |
| 13 | BAOSHAN IRON & STEEL CO LTD | 7 | |
| 14 | University of Florida Research Foundation Inc. | 7 | |
| 15 | Tritech Water Technologies Pte. Ltd. | 7 | |
| 16 | TIANJIN SEA WATER DESALINATION & COMPLEX UTILIZATI… | 7 | |
| 17 | Krosys | 6 | |
| 18 | Honeywell International Inc. | 6 | |
| 19 | Tianjin Ronglu Zhongle Technology Co., Ltd. | 6 | |
| 20 | Garfield International Investments Ltd. | 6 |
Desalitech’s position implies a system-level approach to closed-circuit and continuous RO optimization, while Sulzer’s dual-entity presence (Sulzer Management AG and Sulzer Chemtech AG) points to integrated process engineering coverage. Academic filers such as Tianjin Normal University signal that membrane materials research remains an active frontier not fully commercialized.
Filings from approximately the last 18–24 months will be under-represented due to standard patent publication lag and should not be read as a structural decline. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filing volumes have plateaued since 2017; water treatment and separation dominate the technology mix
The annual trend chart reveals how filing activity has evolved over the study window, while the technology composition chart identifies which IPC classes anchor the field and which remain peripheral.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings peaked in 2017 and have oscillated at lower levels since, consistent with a maturing field. The 2024–2026 bars should be treated as incomplete due to publication lag; no structural further decline can be inferred from those years alone.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C02F (water and wastewater treatment) and B01D (separation processes including filtration) together account for the large majority of classified patent records, confirming that membrane-based water treatment is the technical core. Secondary clusters around pumping machinery (F04F, F04B), hydraulic machines (F03B), and condensation polymers (C08G) reflect energy recovery systems and membrane material chemistry as the next most active branches.
↗ 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.
UMKEHROSMOSE-ENTSALZUNGSANLAGE UND MODUL DAVON
The inventive reverse osmosis desalination plant comprises reverse osmosis desalination modules which are used together and each of which consists of the following three in-series jointed blocks: a diaphragm pump unit (14), a hydraulic interconnection unit (9) and a diaphragm element unit (3), wherein the hydraulic interconnection unit (9) is provided with… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wave energy conversion device for desalination, ETC | 128 |
| 2 | Reverse osmosis desalination apparatus and method | 120 |
| 3 | Wave energy conversion device for desalination, ETC | 116 |
| 4 | Wave-powered desalination of seawater | 101 |
| 5 | Method of and apparatus for producing power and de… | 87 |
| 6 | Permeation separation element | 76 |
| 7 | Recovery of oil | 68 |
| 8 | A pressure exchanger | 64 |
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.
What the patent structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural dimensions—lifecycle stage, competitive concentration, collaborative activity, and geographic distribution—shape where new entrants and incumbents can most productively deploy R&D resources.
A mature field with selective innovation windows
The lifecycle evidence indicates a Maturity stage: annual filings have plateaued near their 2017 peak. The field is not in decline, but the era of broad foundational filing has passed. R&D investment is most defensible in well-differentiated sub-areas such as energy recovery coupling, novel membrane chemistries, and integrated renewable-powered systems rather than core RO process patents already well covered.
Lifecycle: MaturityModerate concentration with a competitive mid-tier
The top five filers hold 22% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers, meaning roughly 78% is distributed across the remaining large filers. The mid-tier cluster between 9 and 13 patent records suggests multiple players are capable of credible IP challenges. New entrants can build meaningful positions without needing to match the leader’s portfolio depth immediately, particularly in adjacent technology branches.
Moderate fragmentationCo-filing activity is limited and concentrated in entity pairs
The most active co-filing relationship is between Sulzer Chemtech AG and Sulzer Management AG, which have co-filed 4 patent records together, reflecting coordinated IP strategy within the Sulzer group. Changzhou University and Jiangsu Tohope Pharma have co-filed 3 records, and IDE Technologies entities have collaborated on 2. Overall co-filing activity is sparse, suggesting that cross-organization R&D partnerships have not yet consolidated into major joint IP programs in this field.
Low co-filing densityChina leads filings; US and PCT routes confirm international reach
China is the leading filing jurisdiction by a wide margin, followed by the United States and WIPO PCT filings, with Europe (EPO), Australia, and the UK forming a secondary tier. The presence of filings in Israel, Singapore, South Korea, India, and Spain reflects the global distribution of both manufacturing interest and water-stressed markets. Applicants seeking broad commercial protection should prioritize PCT and EPO routes given the multi-jurisdiction spread already observed.
China-led, globally spreadGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Sulzer Chemtech AG | Sulzer Management AG | 4 |
| Changzhou University | Jiangsu Tohope Pharma Co., Ltd. | 3 |
| IDE Technologies Ltd | IDE Water Technologies Ltd | 2 |
| Natural Ocean Well Co. | Oceanwell Co. | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Desalitech and Sulzer anchor the field; new academic and start-up entrants are emerging
The top two tiers differ in strategic profile: Desalitech represents a focused RO systems specialist, while Sulzer’s combined entities reflect broad process-engineering coverage. Below them, academic and start-up filers are growing from small bases.
Desalitech
Desalitech holds the top position with 31 patent records. Its technical emphasis is concentrated in C02F 1 (water and wastewater treatment) and B01D 61 (separation/filtration processes), consistent with closed-circuit and continuous-flow RO system IP. Momentum data for Desalitech is not separately broken out in the recent-entrant trend evidence, indicating an established rather than newly surging position.
families: 31Sulzer Management AG / Sulzer Chemtech AG
Sulzer Management AG (16 patent records) and Sulzer Chemtech AG (13 patent records) together represent the second-largest bloc in the ranking. Sulzer Chemtech’s focus spans C02F 1, B01D 61, and C02F 103, reflecting integrated treatment-process engineering. The two entities co-file jointly (4 co-filed records), suggesting coordinated portfolio management. Their combined position makes Sulzer the most significant industrial-process-engineering presence in the field.
families: 29 combined| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Changzhou University | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Natural Ocean Well Co. | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| Purdue Research Foundation | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches in pumping, hydraulics, polymer chemistry, and wind-coupled systems
Several IPC branches adjacent to the dominant C02F and B01D core have low patent record counts relative to the field’s overall volume, representing areas where the prior-art density is thin. These are observations of relative sparsity; entry value depends on technical fit and commercial deployment context.
F04B / F04F · Positive-displacement and alternative pumping
Positive-displacement pumps (F04B, 27 records) and pumping by other means (F04F, 29 records) each represent only about 2% of the classified corpus. Energy recovery through advanced pumping architectures is a known efficiency lever in RO systems, yet the patent density here is low relative to the membrane and treatment branches. Entrants with novel pump-rotor or pressure-exchanger designs could build defensible positions without encountering dense prior art. Realistic entry paths include pressure exchanger improvements and isobaric energy recovery devices.
Search this in Eureka →C08G · Condensation polymers for membrane substrates
Condensation polymers (C08G, 22 records, ~2% share) sit adjacent to the dominant membrane separation branch. Polyamide and polysulfone chemistries underpin most commercial RO membranes, yet this IPC class is sparsely covered in the corpus, suggesting that fundamental polymer synthesis IP has not been heavily filed within this specific desalination context. Academic groups already active in membrane science (e.g., Tianjin Normal University with its B01D 71 focus) are positioned to extend into C08G, and new entrants targeting next-generation membrane materials—such as aquaporin-embedded or mixed-matrix polymer systems—would encounter a relatively open prior-art landscape.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by technology route emphasis
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | C02F 1 · Water & wastewater treatment | B01D 61 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) | C02F 103 · Water & wastewater treatment | C02F 9 · Water & wastewater treatment | B01D 65 · Separation processes (filtration etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sulzer Chemtech AG | Strong · 24 | Moderate · 12 | Moderate · 10 | Absent | Absent |
| Natural Ocean Well Co. | Strong · 13 | Strong · 13 | Strong · 9 | Absent | Strong · 11 |
| IDE Technologies Ltd | Strong · 14 | Strong · 14 | Strong · 11 | Absent | Absent |
| Tianjin Sea Water Desalination & Complex Utilization Technology Co., Ltd. | Strong · 14 | Moderate · 7 | Moderate · 7 | Absent | Absent |
| Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research | Strong · 8 | Strong · 8 | Strong · 5 | Strong · 5 | Absent |
| Purdue Research Foundation | Strong · 12 | Strong · 7 | Moderate · 5 | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
Desalitech leads the ranked applicant set with 31 patent records, followed by Tianjin Normal University at 21 and Sulzer Management AG at 16. The top five filers together account for 22% of the combined total among the hundred largest filers.
China is the leading filing jurisdiction with 358 patent records, followed by the United States at 107, WIPO PCT at 61, and Europe (EPO) at 39. Australia, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Spain, and India form a secondary tier of active jurisdictions.
The evidence characterizes the field as Maturity: annual filings peaked in 2017 and have plateaued at lower levels since. The field is still active but the phase of broad foundational patent filings has passed, pointing toward incremental and specialized innovation.
C02F (water and wastewater treatment) and B01D (separation processes including filtration) are the dominant classes. Secondary branches include F04F (pumping by other means), F04B (positive-displacement pumps), C08G (condensation polymers), and F03B (hydraulic machines), each at much lower densities.
Adjacent branches with relatively sparse coverage include F04F and F04B (advanced pumping and energy recovery), C08G (condensation polymers for membrane substrates), F03B (hydraulic energy recovery machines), and F03D (wind-coupled desalination systems). These branches have low record counts relative to the dominant treatment and separation classes.
Co-filing activity is limited. The most active pair is Sulzer Chemtech AG and Sulzer Management AG with 4 co-filed records, followed by Changzhou University and Jiangsu Tohope Pharma at 3, and two IDE Technologies entities at 2. Overall, cross-organization IP collaboration is sparse, indicating the field has not yet consolidated around major joint-R&D programs.
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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.
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