Small Modular Reactor Safety Patent Landscape 2026
The SMR reactor safety patent space is tightly concentrated, with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Ltd. holding a commanding lead and South Korea dominating the filing geography. The field is in a Growth stage on a multi-year basis, though annual volume has eased from its 2023 peak and the most recent periods remain understated by publication lag.
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. leads a highly concentrated field
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Ltd. stands as the clear dominant filer, ranking first among applicants. Westinghouse Electric Corp., SMR Inventec LLC, and KEPCO Engineering & Construction Co. Inc. form a tightly clustered second tier.
The top five filers account for 78% of the combined patent records across the hundred largest filers — an unusually high concentration that signals a field where a small number of organisations hold most of the technical position. The gap between the first-ranked applicant and the rest is substantial.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KOREA HYDRO & NUCLEAR POWER CO LTD | 34 | |
| 2 | Westinghouse Electric Corp. | 9 | |
| 3 | SMR Inventec LLC | 8 | |
| 4 | KEPCO ENG & CONSTR CO INC | 8 | |
| 5 | SHANGHAI NUCLEAR ENGINEERING RESEARCH & DESIGN INS… | 3 | |
| 6 | UNIST (ULSAN NAT INST OF SCI & TECH) | 2 | |
| 7 | Dunedin Energy Systems Ltd. | 2 | |
| 8 | Southeast University | 2 | |
| 9 | KEPCO Nuclear Fuel Co. Ltd. | 2 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Advanced Reactor Concepts LLC | 2 | |
| 11 | North China Electric Power University | 2 | |
| 12 | China Nuclear Power Design Company | 1 | |
| 13 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | 1 | |
| 14 | China Nuclear Power Engineering Company Ltd. | 1 | |
| 15 | Nuclear Power Institute of China | 1 | |
| 16 | Kunsan National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation | 1 | |
| 17 | Hangzhou Dareruohan Technology Co. Ltd. | 1 |
United States (Westinghouse, SMR Inventec) and a handful of Chinese research institutes represent the most credible counterweights, but the tier gap leaves meaningful room for new entrants with differentiated approaches.
Filing counts for the most recent 18–24 months are understated due to standard patent publication lag; the activity level in those periods should be read as a floor, not a ceiling. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Multi-year growth with a 2023 peak and a G21C-dominant technology mix
Filing activity and technology composition together reveal a maturing-but-still-active field anchored almost entirely in core nuclear reactor systems, with adjacent mechanical and electrical branches remaining lightly covered.
Annual filing trend
Filing activity rose substantially across the multi-year window, reaching a peak in 2023 before easing. The three-year recent window sits well above the prior equivalent period, reflecting genuine field growth. Counts for 2024–2026 are understated by publication lag and should be treated as minimums.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
G21C (Nuclear reactors) dominates the technology mix, followed at a distance by G21D (Nuclear power plants) and a set of smaller mechanical and electrical branches — steam generation, power supply, valves, and heat exchange — each of which remains lightly populated relative to the core class.
↗ 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.
Cooling device and cooling method for small modula…
A small modular reactor cooling device and cooling method are provided. A small modular reactor cooling device includes: a reactor vessel in which a coolant circulates along a flow path structure; and a coolant storage unit provided inside the reactor vessel and charged with the coolant inside based on the circulating flow, wherein the coolant storage unit… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Small modular reactor safety systems | 58 |
| 2 | Optimized nuclear fuel core design for a small mod… | 25 |
| 3 | SLIMM-Scalable Liquid Metal Cooled Small Modular R… | 24 |
| 4 | 小模块化反应堆安全系统 | 15 |
| 5 | 一种自充压堆芯补水系统 | 15 |
| 6 | Small modular reactor power plant with load follow… | 13 |
| 7 | Slimm-scalable liquid metal cooled small modular r… | 12 |
| 8 | Small modular reactor safety systems | 9 |
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 competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural dimensions — lifecycle stage, concentration, collaboration, and geography — shape where incremental R&D investment is likely to generate differentiated IP positions versus where incumbents already hold strong ground.
Growth stage, easing from 2023 peak
The field is classified as Growth: the recent three-year filing window sits well above the prior three-year window, indicating genuine multi-year expansion. Annual volume peaked in 2023 and has since eased, though publication lag means recent-year counts are understated. Entry now requires differentiation from established G21C positions rather than first-mover novelty alone.
Lifecycle: GrowthTop five filers own 78% of the leading-100 share
The top five filers account for 78% of the combined patent records among the hundred largest filers — a concentration level that limits freedom to operate in core reactor safety systems. Westinghouse Electric Corp., SMR Inventec LLC, and KEPCO Engineering & Construction Co. Inc. form a credible second tier, but the gap to the leader is large. Entrants should map white-space branches before committing to core G21C territory.
High concentrationLimited co-filing activity; one active academic pair identified
North China Electric Power University and Southeast University are the only co-filing pair identified in the evidence, with two joint records between them. Collaborative IP activity across the broader field is sparse, suggesting that most innovation is being internalized by individual corporate or institutional filers rather than developed through consortia. This leaves ecosystem partnership strategies relatively open.
Low co-filing densitySouth Korea leads; US and Europe are secondary filing targets
South Korea is the dominant filing jurisdiction, reflecting Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co.’s outsized position. Europe (EPO) and the United States each rank second equal as secondary protection targets, followed closely by China. PCT filings indicate that a subset of applicants are pursuing broad international coverage. Canada and Japan appear as minor jurisdictions, pointing to selective rather than comprehensive global filing strategies by most players.
KR-anchored, global reachGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| North China Electric Power University | Southeast University | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. dominates; Westinghouse and SMR Inventec lead the challenger tier
Two organisations stand out for trajectory as well as scale: Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Ltd. as a new entrant with rapid accumulation, and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) as a second new entrant. The challenger tier — Westinghouse and SMR Inventec — holds meaningful positions in core reactor safety systems.
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Ltd.
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Ltd. ranks first with 34 patent records, classified as a new entrant with a sharply rising trajectory. Its technology emphasis is concentrated in G21C 1, G21C 15, and G21C 9 — covering reactor design, cooling systems, and emergency safety systems. This breadth across core G21C sub-classes signals a systematic effort to cover the principal safety-system architecture of SMRs rather than a narrow functional niche.
34 patent recordsWestinghouse Electric Corp.
Westinghouse Electric Corp. holds 9 patent records, with emphasis on G21C 15, G21C 1, and G21C 9 — a technology profile that overlaps substantially with the leader’s, placing the two in direct competition on core cooling and safety-system IP. SMR Inventec LLC, also at 8 patent records, focuses on G21C 11 and G21C 3 alongside G21C 9, suggesting a complementary rather than identical approach. Applicant momentum data is not separately available for Westinghouse in the recent-window comparison.
9 patent records| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Ltd. | 24 | ▲ new entrant |
| Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served adjacent branches in steam systems, grid integration, and heat exchange
Several IPC branches adjacent to the dominant G21C core carry very low patent counts, making them observable as under-served areas. Where technical relevance to SMR safety is plausible, they may represent entry points for differentiated IP development.
H02J · Power supply & grid integration for SMR safety
H02J (Power supply and grid systems) accounts for only 4 patent records in this corpus, yet grid resilience and black-start capability are recognised safety-critical functions for SMRs intended for remote or islanded deployments. KEPCO Engineering & Construction Co. Inc. holds the clearest position here, alongside G21D sub-classes. An entrant with power-electronics or microgrid expertise could develop a differentiated position without directly confronting the G21C incumbents.
Search this in Eureka →F28D · Heat-exchange apparatus for passive cooling
F28D (Heat-exchange apparatus) has only 1 patent record in this space, despite passive decay-heat removal being a cornerstone of SMR safety philosophy. The sparsity likely reflects current filers treating heat-exchange as integral to G21C reactor claims rather than claiming it separately under F28D. For a supplier or materials specialist, targeting F28D claims alongside G21C cross-references may offer a less crowded entry path into the passive-cooling safety chain.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ across G21C sub-classes and adjacent branches
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | G21C 15 · Nuclear reactors | G21C 1 · Nuclear reactors | G21C 9 · Nuclear reactors | G21C 3 · Nuclear reactors | G21C 11 · Nuclear reactors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Ltd. | Strong · 26 | Strong · 28 | Moderate · 10 | Absent | Absent |
| SMR Inventec LLC | Moderate · 3 | Absent | Strong · 5 | Strong · 8 | Strong · 8 |
| Westinghouse Electric Corp. | Strong · 7 | Strong · 5 | Strong · 5 | Absent | Absent |
| KEPCO Engineering & Construction Co. Inc. | Strong · 8 | Moderate · 2 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) | Strong · 2 | Strong · 2 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute Co. Ltd. | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus in scope contains 65 patent families. This count covers the technology broadly and is the basis for the trend and applicant analyses presented here.
Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Ltd. leads with 34 patent records, a substantially larger position than the next-ranked filers — Westinghouse Electric Corp. at 9 and both SMR Inventec LLC and KEPCO Engineering & Construction Co. Inc. at 8.
Yes, on a multi-year basis. The field is assessed as Growth stage, with the recent three-year filing window well above the prior equivalent period. Annual volume peaked in 2023 and has since eased; the most recent years are further understated by publication lag, so current activity is likely higher than raw counts suggest.
South Korea is the dominant jurisdiction, reflecting the leading applicant’s home market. Europe (EPO) and the United States each rank second equal, followed closely by China. PCT filings indicate that some applicants are pursuing broad international coverage.
G21C (Nuclear reactors) is by far the largest class, followed at a considerable distance by G21D (Nuclear power plants). Steam generation (F22B), power supply and grid systems (H02J), and several mechanical sub-classes — valves, steam traps, heat exchangers — each account for a small share of the corpus.
Collaboration is sparse. The only co-filing pair identified in the evidence is North China Electric Power University and Southeast University, which share 2 joint records. Most innovation in this space is being developed and filed independently by individual organisations rather than through joint ventures or consortia.
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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.
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