我国稀土资源在地缘经济中的技术困境——基于稀土产业相关专利全球分布的视角

Technological predicament of China′s rare earth resources in geo-economy——from the perspective of global distribution of patents related to rare earth industry

稀土地缘经济是全球矿产资源外交的热点主题。本文对智慧芽全球专利数据库中稀土相关专利技术进行了数据挖掘和分析,构建了专利技术-产业层级对应关系,探讨了专利技术分布的国别特征、研发机构属性、技术主题演进趋势,重点比较了中国、日本、美国稀土专利布局的异同。研究指出,在全球稀土地缘经济链中,我国稀土产业技术困境表现为:(1)专利技术主要集中在C类(化学/冶金)主题,但在稀土资源提取(C22B类)与冶炼(C22C类)亦仅存相对技术优势;(2)专利技术研发机构分散,难以整合新兴产业链;(3)缺乏下游器件技术拉动和全球知识产权保护,技术上易于被取代。随着我国从稀土资源出口大国转化为进口大国,稀土资源加工的相对技术优势将进一步强化我国稀土经济的上游产业区位属性,亟待加强境外专利保护和布局器件类新兴稀土产业链。

The geo-economy of rare earth is a hot topic in global mineral resource diplomacy. This paper collected and analyzed the data of the patent technologies related to rare earth from the global patent database PatSnap, and the corresponding relationship between patent technology and industry level was established. The paper also discussed the national characteristics, the attributes of research institutions and the evolution trend of technology topics of patent technology distribution and compared the similarities and differences in the layout of rare earth patents in China, Japan and the United States. It is indicated that in the global rare earth geo-economical chain, the technological predicament of China’s rare earth industry is as follows:(1) Patented technologies are mainly concentrated in C-type(chemical/metallurgical) topics, but in rare-earth resource extraction(C22 B) and smelting(C22 C-type)) they only remain relative technical advantages;(2) The research institutions of patented technologies are scattered, which is difficult to integrate emerging industry chains;(3) The technologies can be replaced easily due to the lack of device technology pull and global intellectual property protection. As China transforms from a major exporter of rare earth resources to a major importer, the relative technological advantages of rare earth resource processing will further strengthen the location attributes of the upstream industry in China’s rare earth economy, and it is urgent to strengthen overseas patent protection and lay out emerging rare earth industrial chains of the device category.