ASPI’s Critical Technology Tracker expands to include patent data

October 13, 2026 - 02:19

A major research tool for tracking global leadership in critical technologies has been updated to include patent data, offering a broader view of how countries compete in fields that shape economic and military power.

The expanded tracker now features patent-based rankings across more than 20 of the 74 critical technologies it monitors. This addition complements existing measures that look at high-impact research, giving analysts and policymakers another way to assess national strengths and weaknesses.

Patent activity often signals how quickly a country moves from basic research toward commercial application and practical deployment. By folding patent data into the tracker, the tool can highlight where research leadership translates into marketable inventions and where gaps remain.

The update arrives as governments worldwide increase scrutiny of supply chains, export controls, and industrial policy in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, and advanced materials. Understanding who leads in patents can help identify dependencies and vulnerabilities that are not obvious from research output alone.

Analysts say the new capability could sharpen debates about investment priorities and international cooperation. It also raises questions about how different indicators, from academic papers to patents to manufacturing capacity, tell distinct parts of the same story.

The tracker remains a public resource intended to inform strategic thinking about technology competition and resilience.