Zinc-Ion Battery Patent Landscape 2026
Zinc-Ion Battery Patent Landscape in 2026
The zinc-ion battery field is in a sustained growth phase, with a 105% increase in filings over the recent multi-year window and China-based filers holding a commanding position. Central South University leads all applicants, and the top five filers account for 14% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating a moderately fragmented field dominated by academic institutions rather than industrial incumbents.
Academic institutions lead a fragmented but fast-growing field
Central South University ranks first with 85 patent families, ahead of Honeycomb Battery Co (48), GRST Singapore Pte Ltd (47), the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (45), and Contemporary Amperex Technology Hong Kong (43). The ranking is notable for the depth of university participation across all top-20 positions.
The top five filers hold 14% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, a relatively modest concentration that signals no single entity has established a dominant lock on the technology. Industrial players such as Contemporary Amperex and Honeycomb Battery Co are present but rank behind multiple universities, reflecting the field’s continued proximity to fundamental research.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central South University | 85 | |
| 2 | Honeycomb Battery Co. | 48 | |
| 3 | GRST Singapore Pte Ltd | 47 | |
| 4 | Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 45 | |
| 5 | Contemporary Amperex Technology (Hong Kong) Limited | 43 | |
| 6 | SHENZHEN CITY THROUGH SCI & TECH OF NEW ENERGY CO … | 39 | |
| 7 | Beijing Institute of Technology | 39 | |
| 8 | Salient Energy Inc. | 36 | |
| 9 | Jilin University | 35 | |
| 10 | City University of Hong Kong | 35 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Liaoning University | 33 | |
| 12 | Gyeongsang National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation | 32 | |
| 13 | Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences) | 28 | |
| 14 | Changzhou University | 27 | |
| 15 | Anhui University | 27 | |
| 16 | Zhengzhou University | 26 | |
| 17 | Guangdong University of Technology | 25 | |
| 18 | Joby Aero Inc. | 24 | |
| 19 | Hubei Engineering University | 23 | |
| 20 | HUAZHONG UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 23 |
Central South University’s position as the clear leader, combined with a broad university cohort spanning Jilin University, Beijing Institute of Technology, and Liaoning University, implies that core zinc-ion chemistry IP remains largely in academic hands — a structural opening for industrial players seeking licensing partnerships or talent pipelines.
The most recent 18–24 months are subject to publication lag and will show understated counts; the 2025–2026 figures should be treated as incomplete. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Filings have grown consistently since 2017; cell chemistry dominates the technology mix
The annual filing trend and IPC composition together map both the pace of investment and the technical areas attracting the most attention within zinc-ion battery research.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings rose from 44 in 2017 to 601 in 2024, a trajectory consistent with a field still in its growth phase. The 2025 and 2026 bars are materially understated due to publication lag and do not represent a slowdown; the 105% recent-window growth rate confirms sustained momentum.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01M (batteries, cells, and fuel cells) is overwhelmingly dominant, reflecting deep focus on core electrochemical cell design. Secondary branches — C01G (compounds of other metals), B82Y (nanotechnology applications), and C01B (non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds) — indicate active work on electrode and electrolyte materials, while H01G (capacitors) suggests some hybrid energy-storage exploration.
↗ 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.
Negative electrode current collector for zinc ion …
The present invention relates to a negative electrode current collector for a zinc-ion battery, a method for manufacturing the same, and a zinc-ion battery comprising the same. More specifically, the negative electrode current collector for a zinc-ion battery of the present invention can prevent side reactions such as hydrogen evolution reaction, corrosion… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zinc Ion-Exchanging Energy Storage Device | 169 |
| 2 | Battery thermal management system and method | 149 |
| 3 | Chemical-Free Production of Graphene-Encapsulated … | 148 |
| 4 | 具有锌离子电导性界面修饰层的锌负极、电池以及制备方法 | 91 |
| 5 | Ionic gel electrolyte, energy storage devices, and… | 84 |
| 6 | Ionic gel electrolyte, energy storage devices, and… | 82 |
| 7 | 可充电的锌离子电池 | 76 |
| 8 | Manganese dioxide-based material | 72 |
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 strategy
Four structural signals — lifecycle stage, concentration, collaboration patterns, and geography — shape the investment calculus for any team entering or expanding in zinc-ion batteries.
Growth stage: annual filings still rising
The field is classified as Growth, with annual filings increasing consistently from 2017 through 2024 and a 105% expansion over the recent multi-year window. Publication lag means the 2025–2026 counts understate true activity. Foundational IP is still being filed, which means early mover advantage in key sub-technologies remains available.
Growth stageFragmented at the top; universities outrank industrials
The top five filers account for 14% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total — moderate concentration. Critically, five of the top seven ranked entities are universities or public research institutes, not commercial manufacturers. This structure suggests that industrial players can still acquire or license foundational positions without confronting an entrenched corporate patent thicket.
Moderate fragmentationUniversity–industry co-filing is the dominant partnership model
The most active co-filing pairs are GRST Global with GRST Singapore (6 joint families), and Beijing Institute of Technology with Henan Penghui Power (6 joint families). Beijing Institute of Technology also co-files with Zhuhai Penghui Energy (4 families) and Guangzhou Penghui (4 families). Central South University co-files with Vite New Energy Guangdong (3 families) and Zhuzhou Smelting Group (3 families). These pairings reflect a model where academic IP is being jointly developed with battery manufacturers and materials companies.
University–industry pairsChina-centric filing with limited Western coverage
China is the primary filing jurisdiction by a wide margin. The United States, Europe (EPO), and WIPO (PCT) together represent a much smaller share of records, and South Korea and India round out the top five jurisdictions. The limited PCT and EPO filing activity relative to the China volume suggests that many Chinese academic filers are not pursuing global protection — creating potential freedom-to-operate in Western markets for non-Chinese applicants who file internationally.
China-dominantGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| GRST Global Limited | GRST Singapore Pte Ltd | 6 |
| Beijing Institute of Technology | Henan Penghui Power Co., Ltd. | 6 |
| Beijing Institute of Technology | Zhuhai Penghui Energy Co., Ltd. | 4 |
| Beijing Institute of Technology | Guangzhou Penghui Energy Technology Co., Ltd. | 4 |
| Central South University | Vite New Energy (Guangdong) Technology Co., Ltd. | 3 |
| Central South University | Zhuzhou Smelting Group Co., Ltd. | 3 |
| Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Tianjin Bohai Petrochemical Co., Ltd. | 3 |
| Beijing Institute of Technology | Beijing Institute of Technology Yangtze Delta Region Research Institute (Jiaxing) | 2 |
| Beijing Institute of Technology | Beijing Institute of Technology Chongqing Innovation Center | 2 |
| Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School | Dongguan Amperex Technology Limited (ATL) | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Central South University leads; Dalian Institute and Beijing Institute of Technology show the strongest momentum
The leading filers span public universities and a handful of commercial entities, with technology focus overwhelmingly concentrated in H01M cell and electrode chemistry. Momentum trends distinguish consolidating leaders from fast-rising challengers.
Central South University
Central South University holds 85 patent families, the largest count in the corpus. Its technology focus is concentrated in H01M10 (batteries and cells, 83 records) and H01M4 (electrode materials, 56 records), with a secondary nanotechnology thread (B82Y30, 10 records). Recent filing momentum is positive at +45% versus the prior three-year window, confirming the institution is still actively expanding its position rather than coasting on an established portfolio.
families: 85Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (CAS)
The Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics ranks fourth with 45 patent families and is the fastest-growing established player among top filers, with recent filings up 131% versus the prior three-year period. Its technical emphasis mirrors Central South University — H01M10 (44 records) and H01M4 (26 records) — but it adds a nanotechnology angle (B82Y40, 5 records) and maintains an active co-filing relationship with Tianjin Bohai Petrochemical (3 joint families), linking materials research to industrial feedstocks.
families: 45| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Central South University | 42 | ▲ +45% |
| Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) | 5 | ▼ -85% |
| GRST Global Limited | 4 | ▼ -90% |
| Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 30 | ▲ +131% |
| Beijing Institute of Technology | 30 | ▲ new entrant |
| Salient Energy Inc. | 2 | ▼ -86% |
| Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| Jilin University | 22 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the core cell-chemistry cluster
Several IPC classes appear at lower share within the zinc-ion battery corpus. These are observations of relative sparsity; they represent potential entry points only where technical value and a plausible path exist.
H01G · Capacitors and hybrid energy storage
H01G accounts for 94 patent records — roughly 2% of the IPC distribution — despite the well-documented interest in zinc-ion capacitors and hybrid supercapacitor-battery devices. The sparse filing activity here, alongside the field’s dominant H01M focus, suggests that zinc-ion hybrid architectures (combining capacitive and faradaic storage) remain underdeveloped in the patent record. Teams working on fast-charge, high-cycle-life hybrid cells could file with relatively low risk of crowding against established portfolios.
Search this in Eureka →H02J · Power supply and grid integration
H02J covers only 14 patent records in this corpus, indicating that system-level integration of zinc-ion batteries into grid or microgrid architectures is almost entirely absent from the zinc-ion patent landscape. Given the chemistry’s cost and safety profile — both favorable for stationary storage — the gap between device-level IP and grid-integration IP is a structural white space. Applicants with battery management system or grid-interface expertise from other chemistries could transfer that know-how into zinc-ion grid applications with limited direct competition.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ in technology route emphasis
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H01M 10 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H01M 4 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H01M 50 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | B82Y 40 · Nanotechnology applications | B82Y 30 · Nanotechnology applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central South University | Strong · 83 | Strong · 56 | Emerging · 4 | Emerging · 10 | Emerging · 10 |
| Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) | Strong · 57 | Moderate · 23 | Moderate · 26 | Absent | Absent |
| Nanotek Instruments Inc. | Strong · 36 | Strong · 41 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Jilin University | Strong · 32 | Strong · 26 | Absent | Moderate · 10 | Moderate · 8 |
| Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Strong · 44 | Strong · 26 | Absent | Emerging · 5 | Absent |
| Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School | Strong · 35 | Strong · 31 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Gyeongsang National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation | Strong · 31 | Strong · 30 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 3,137 patent families. China is the dominant filing jurisdiction, accounting for the largest share of records, followed by the United States, Europe (EPO), and WIPO (PCT).
Central South University leads with 85 patent families, followed by Honeycomb Battery Co (48), GRST Singapore Pte Ltd (47), the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (45), and Contemporary Amperex Technology Hong Kong (43).
The field is in a growth stage. Annual filings rose from 44 in 2017 to 601 in 2024, with a 105% increase over the recent multi-year window. The 2025 and 2026 data are understated due to publication lag and do not indicate a slowdown.
H01M (batteries, cells, and fuel cells) is the overwhelmingly dominant IPC class. Secondary branches include C01G (compounds of other metals), B82Y (nanotechnology applications), and C01B (non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds), pointing to active electrode and electrolyte materials research.
Two notable adjacent branches show sparse coverage relative to their technical relevance: H01G (capacitors and hybrid energy-storage architectures) and H02J (power supply and grid integration). Both represent areas where new filings would face limited direct competition from established zinc-ion portfolios.
The most active co-filing relationships are between GRST Global and GRST Singapore (6 joint families), and between Beijing Institute of Technology and Henan Penghui Power (6 joint families). Beijing Institute of Technology also co-files with Zhuhai Penghui Energy and Guangzhou Penghui (4 families each), reflecting a recurring university–industry partnership model.
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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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