South Africa - IP Case Study - Comparison of patent portfolios in the concentrated solar sector, with an emphasis on Southern Africa

Concentrated solar energy generation is a subset of renewable energy generation. Current patent filing trends indicate that the technology in the field is maturing, with the number of new patent families filed peaking in the 2010-2013 period.

The concentrated solar market is expected to grow rapidly over the next five years and is estimated to be worth between USD 20-25 billion by 2027 (from USD 7 billion in 2022). The present case study looked at the filing trends for two market players – a large Spanish group of companies (Company A) and an American solar start-up (Company B) – in order to analyse different IP portfolios and strategies suitable for businesses in different phases of development.