Between 2020 and 2025, filing activity shows a clear structural shift from a balanced ecosystem of new and established filers, to one increasingly dominated by established filers.

In 2020, nearly half (48%) of all filers were first‑time entrants, responsible for roughly a quarter (24%) of total filings. However, by 2025 those figures had fallen to 35% and 13%, respectively, This indicates a consistent decline in both new entrant participation and their overall engagement.

Over the six‑year period, established filers maintained steady growth and now account for over three‑quarters of all annual filings. Cumulatively, first‑time filers represented 44% of total filers but contributed only 23% of total filings, showing that established applicants are not only staying active but expanding their patent portfolio. The data underscores a maturing innovation landscape—one where participation is consolidating around repeat contributors.

Based on the IP Pilot data, in the top jurisdictions housing new filers, China remains the clear global leader, accounting for nearly 69% of all first-time worldwide and more than 84% of filings from new filers. Yet, within its borders, new filers represent only around 43% of total filers and less than one quarter of all filings, indicating that while many newcomers are entering the system, established players still drive the majority of patent activity.

In sharp contrast, India demonstrates one of the most dynamic ecosystems, where nearly 78% of all filers are first‑time applicants and these entrants are responsible for over half of total filings. This pattern suggests a rapidly expanding innovation base and a surge of new participants shaping the country’s intellectual property growth, perhaps driven by their robust Research Development and Innovation Fund initiative.

Similarly, in Brazil and Turkey more than two‑thirds of applicants are first-time patent filers and roughly half of the filings originating from these newcomers, reflecting healthy domestic expansion and inclusive innovation policies. Australia also stands out with nearly three‑quarters of all filers being new with 63% of filings attributed to them.

Among advanced economies, a different story emerges. The United States, Japan, South Korea, and Germany reveal maturity and stability. In these systems, new filers represent between 30% and 45% of total applicants, but they contribute relatively little to overall filing volume, often below 20% of total filings. This gap underscores the dominance of repeat institutional and corporate filers in mature markets.

In essence, the world’s innovation landscape now operates at two speeds: one led by large, experienced players generating high volumes of filings, and another powered by emerging countries where new innovators are increasingly shaping the future of patent activity.

In China the first-time patent filers averaging three filings each compared to over seven per established filer, illustrating a system driven heavily by repeat, high-volume applicants even as millions of newcomers enter the field. In contrast, other advanced economies such as Japan, the United States, South Korea, and Germany exhibit high filing intensity among incumbents. This pattern reflects the deep institutionalization of R&D in mature markets, where patenting is concentrated within large, experienced organizations.

By comparison, emerging and mid-size economies like India, Brazil, and Turkey show broader participation but lower filing intensity. New filers in these jurisdictions typically produce about one to one-and-a-half filings each, indicating vibrant entry but modest portfolio depth. Australia, despite smaller scale, demonstrates a more balanced ecosystem where new and established filers contribute at similar levels.

Together, the findings paint a picture of a two-tier global patent system: one characterized by volume-rich incumbency in advanced economies and another defined by broadening participation and first-time innovation in emerging jurisdictions. This dual dynamic signals both stability and transformation within the global innovation landscape, as established players sustain scale while new entrants steadily expand the reach of inventive activity worldwide.

The Chinese representation market is highly concentrated yet extremely active, dominated by large‑scale IP agencies capable of managing tens of thousands of domestic applications per year.

Industrial‑scale agencies (e.g., Beijing Shengfanzhirong, SciHead IP Group, Beijing Weizheng, Hefei Kerong) handle tens of thousands of filings each year. They function like patent “super‑factories,” servicing universities, SMEs, and local government‑funded innovation programs across provinces.

Hybrid law‑firm agencies such as Unitalen Attorneys‑at‑Law, Beyond Attorneys‑at‑Law, and Advance China IP Law Office combine high volume with advisory and international prosecution work — bridging domestic inventors to global PCT filings.

High‑prestige firms like Liu Shen & Associates, Jiaquan IP Law Firm maintain strong reputations for complex or international portfolios, yet still appear prominently among top new‑filer representatives, showing broad service coverage from novice innovators to multinationals.

Senan IP is a clear national leader in representation of first-time patent filers and confirms its role as India’s equivalent of a “full‑service patent engine.” It operates across technology fields and is particularly active in mechanical and electrical patents for Indian applicants and educational institutions. Ideas2IP, Biswajit Sarkar Advocates, Soni and Soni, Novel Patent Services, and Ennoble IP form a second tier of agile, mid‑sized firms specializing in patent drafting, startup support, and government‑funded IP programs.

In the United States, the diversity of law firms representing new patent filers reflects the complexity and maturity of the country’s innovation ecosystem. Kaufhold Dix Patent Law, Chew Patents Group, KA Filing LLC, and Patent Agency LLC represent a growing class of boutique, inventor‑focused firms that specialize in accessible, cost‑effective services for startups and individual inventors entering the patent system.

Larger, full‑service IP firms such as Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner, Knobbe Martens, Fish & Richardson, and Sughrue Mion combine deep technical expertise with global reach, supporting clients through more complex intellectual property portfolios.

Prominent commercial law firms with strong IP departments, including Dunlap Bennett & Ludwig, Polsinelli, Foley & Lardner, and Brennan Manna & Diamond, illustrate the integration of patent strategy into broader business advisory services. Meanwhile, hybrid and technology‑driven consultancies such as ScienBiziP PC and IPSpeedy Intellectual Property Inc. showcase the emergence of automation and cross‑border patenting as key features of a modern, globally connected IP market.

South Korea’s patent representation market is marked by technical sophistication, strong competition, and diversified expertise. Haean Patent Law Firm leads by a wide margin, handling over 6,000 filings from first-time patent filers, followed by Kim & Chang and Y.K. Kim International Patent Firm, both recognized for combining legal strength with technical depth.

Firms like Teheran Patent and Law Firm, Major Patent and Law Firm, and Aju‑Kim‑Chang‑Lee maintain significant filing activity, serving established companies and local innovators alike.

The next tier — including Sang Sang Patent and Law Firm, and Nobel International Patent Law Firm — reflects Korea’s rich mid‑sized firm ecosystem, known for precision and client focus. Meanwhile, newer entrants such as Nam IP Group, Chung Hyun, and BLT Patent Law Firm are building visibility through modernized, startup‑friendly services.

The United Kingdom’s patent representation market is well‑established, diverse, and highly professional, reflecting the country’s long tradition of intellectual property expertise. IPConsult, Albright IP, Mathys & Squire, and Murgitroyd lead activity among new filers, collectively accounting for a large share of filings from first‑time applicants.

Established institutions such as Marks & Clerk, HGF Limited, and Appleyard Lees continue to anchor the sector, combining deep technical knowledge with pan‑European operations.

Mid‑sized specialists like Barker Brettell LLP, Withers & Rogers, and Potter Clarkson LLP focus on supporting small and medium‑sized enterprises as well as universities, helping translate early‑stage research into protected innovation.

Adding to the market’s vitality, firms such as Mewburn Ellis LLP, Boult Wade Tennant, Venner Shipley LLP, and Forresters illustrate the UK’s global reach and consistency in IP services.

The Australian patent representation market is defined by a mix of established leaders and nimble entrants, each catering to different segments of first-time patent filers. Firms such as Alder IP, Patentable, and Innofy demonstrate strong appeal among startups and individual inventors, offering cost‑effective and digitally accessible services.

Meanwhile, long‑standing full‑service firms like Wrays, Spruson Ferguson, FB Rice, and Davies Collison Cave continue to play a key integrative role, balancing the needs of major corporate clients and first‑time innovators alike.

Complementing these are emerging consultancies such as LexGeneris and IP Nation, which reflect a growing digital‑first orientation within Australia’s IP landscape. Together, these varying firm types illustrate a patent ecosystem that is both mature and evolving, combining institutional strength with new avenues for accessibility and innovation.

The analysis is based on filings classified by their publication date across individual jurisdictions. For patents, only priority filings are taken into account. A “new or first-time patent filer” refers to an applicant with no prior priority or domestic subsequent filings after the cutoff year of 2010. For instance, an applicant who filed in 2006 and then again in 2020 would be considered a new filer as of 2020.