[GLOBAL ECONOMIC TIMES]  Over the past five years, Korea's patent application growth rate in the field of '3D printing construction' has been the highest among major countries in the world, so it is expected that technology development will be able to accelerate even faster.

'3D printing construction technology' is attracting attention as a cutting-edge future construction technology that will change future life, such as automation of construction sites and minimization of construction waste, and competition for technology development is heating up around the world.

According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office on the 27th, as a result of analyzing patents around the world filed in major countries' patent offices (IP5: Korea, US, China, EU, Japan), the total number of applications related to 3D printing construction technology over the past 10 years is 1,381. The number of applications, which was only 8 in 2012 at the beginning of technology development, increased at an average annual rate of 45.3%, increasing to 231 in 2021.

Meanwhile, Korea is attracting attention for showing the world's fastest growth rate with a 13% increase in applications over the past five years.

The country with the most applications over the past 10 years was China (38.6%, 533 cases), followed by the United States (20%, 276 cases). Korea ranked third with 12.1% (167 cases), but showed the highest increase in application volume, averaging 13% per year over the past five years.

Research and development in this field appears to be led by companies (68.5%). In particular, the United States (83.3%), Germany (97%), and France (96.4%) had high corporate filing rates. In Korea, research and development is conducted by a variety of applicants, including companies (34.7%), universities (30.5%), individuals (17.4%), and public (17.4%).

As major multiple filers, construction-related companies such as SIKA (3.6%, 50 cases, Switzerland), GE (3.5%, 49 cases, USA), and CSCEC (3%, 42 cases, China) ranked 1st to 3rd. Korean applicants include various research institutes, universities, and companies, including the Korea Institute of Construction Technology (0.9%, 13 cases, 19th place), Yonsei University (0.7%, 10 cases, 21st place), and Sejong University (0.4%, 6 cases, 42nd place). It was spread. In particular, in Korea, small and medium-sized venture companies specializing in 3D printing appear to be doing well.

Meanwhile, the global 3D printing construction market is expected to grow rapidly at an average annual rate of 65% from $3.4 billion (KRW 4.7 trillion) in 2022, reaching $500 billion (KRW 716 trillion) in 2032.

Jihye Han, head of the Smart Manufacturing Review Team at the Korean Intellectual Property Office, said, “3D printing construction is an eco-friendly construction method that produces almost no construction waste, and is attracting attention as a future cutting-edge technology that can build structures even in environments inaccessible to humans, such as the moon or the seabed.” “To help Korea lead the way in the 3D printing construction field, the Korean Intellectual Property Office will actively strive to support the industry by providing high-quality examination and patent statistics,” he said.

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