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Strategic Infrastructure

Seaports & Terminals

Seaports and terminals covers the commercial trade gateways of the maritime system, including seaports and their container, roll-on roll-off, dry-bulk, liquid-bulk and general-cargo terminals, cruise terminals, shipyards and dry docks. One of the capabilities of Transport Infrastructure.

International families
3,6572015 to 2024
Leading country
China1.1× the next
All families
27khome filings included
Over five years
Steady2020 to 2024 against the five before

Year by year

Patent families by country of origin and the year of the earliest filing, 2000 to 2025; 2025 is a part year, still filling in. International families are those for which protection was sought beyond one country.

Volume

International patent families in the capability, by the year of the earliest filing.

Source: Global Institute for National Capability (GINC), 2026. Underlying patents from 107 patent offices, IFI CLAIMS and Google

Share by country

Each country's share of the year's international families, in per cent: the capability's five largest countries of origin, 2015 to 2024, and the rest of the world.

Source: Global Institute for National Capability (GINC), 2026. Underlying patents from 107 patent offices, IFI CLAIMS and Google

Country leaderboard

International patent families, 2015 to 2024, by country of origin. Growth compares the latest five full years with the five before.

Ten largest

China

Japan

United States

France

South Korea

Germany

Norway

Netherlands

United Kingdom

Italy

482

422

420

416

286

235

225

190

168

112

2000 to 2025
1China48213.2%1.8×
16,551
2Japan42211.5%1.1×
1,590
3United States42011.5%0.9×
998
4France41611.4%1.4×
497
5South Korea2867.8%1.2×
5,125
6Germany2356.4%0.7×
336
7Norway2256.2%1.0×
265
8Netherlands1905.2%0.7×
249
9United Kingdom1684.6%1.0×
212
10Italy1123.1%1.2×
198
11Denmark822.2%1.5×
87
12Australia671.8%0.8×
100
13Finland641.8%0.6×
72
14Spain501.4%0.7×
70
15Switzerland471.3%0.7×
52
16Sweden421.1%1.1×
58
17Canada411.1%0.6×
87
18Singapore411.1%0.6×
46
19Taiwan320.9%2.6×
51
20Austria310.8%0.5×
37
21Belgium260.7%0.9×
34
22Brazil220.6%1.4×
48
23Russia150.4%2.8×
169
24India140.4%0.8×
16
25Israel130.4%0.9×
16
26Türkiye130.4%12×
28
27New Zealand100.3%2.3×
10
28Ireland80.2%1.0×
12
29Hungary60.2%0.5×
6
30Poland50.1%1.5×
29
31Hong Kong40.1%0.3×
4
32Saudi Arabia40.1%1.0×
4
33Luxembourg20.1%–
2
34Malaysia20.1%1.0×
4
35Portugal20.1%1.0×
3
36South Africa10.0%0.0×
1
37Czechia10.0%–
6
38Mexico10.0%0.0×
4

Applicants

The largest applicants by international patent families, 2015 to 2024: across the world, then within each of the five countries with the most families in Seaports & Terminals. Names are as held in the source and are not consolidated across subsidiaries.

Global

3,657 international families

GAZTRANSPORT ET TECHNIGAZ · France

GAZ TRANSPORT & TECHNIGAZ · France

ITREC BV · Netherlands

MITSUBISHI SHIPBUILDING CO LTD · Japan

DAIFUKU KK · Japan

KAWASAKI HEAVY IND LTD · Japan

200

95

37

36

35

35

China

482 international families

GUANGZHOU SHIPYARD INT CO LTD

UNIV JIANGSU SCIENCE & TECH

CHINA HARBOUR ENG CO LTD

QINGDAO PORT INT CO LTD

QINGDAO NEW QIANWAN CONTAINER TERMINAL CO LTD

UNIV DALIAN TECH

27

27

16

16

15

13

Japan

422 international families

MITSUBISHI SHIPBUILDING CO LTD

KAWASAKI HEAVY IND LTD

DAIFUKU KK

MURATA MACHINERY LTD

SUMITOMO HEAVY IND MAT HANDLING SYSTEMS CO LTD

YOKOHAMA RUBBER CO LTD

36

35

32

21

18

17

United States

420 international families

GOODRICH CORP

SOFEC INC

BARDEX CORP

LONE GULL HOLDINGS LTD

OCEANEERING INT INC

AIR CRUISERS COMPANY LLC

18

12

7

7

7

5

France

416 international families

GAZTRANSPORT ET TECHNIGAZ

GAZ TRANSPORT & TECHNIGAZ

NAVAL GROUP

THALES SA

TOTALENERGIES ONETECH

GAS TRANSP TECHNICAL COMPANY

200

95

14

14

14

13

South Korea

286 international families

KOREA INST OCEAN SCI & TECH

HYUN DAI HEAVY IND CO LTD

YUJOO CO LTD

HD KOREA SHIPBUILDING & OFFSHORE ENG CO LTD

SAMSUNG HEAVY IND

DAEWOO SHIPBUILDING & MARINE

26

15

12

10

10

9

Similar capabilities

The nine capabilities that share the most international patent families with Seaports & Terminals, 2015 to 2024: the families counted in both as a share of those counted in either. Each card shows its five largest countries.

Strategic Infrastructure

Storage, Transport & Export

9.1% shared · 873 families in both

United States

France

Japan

China

South Korea

1,149

1,029

876

701

523

Governance & Integrity

Recovery, Continuity & Adaptation

7.4% shared · 412 families in both

China

United States

Japan

South Korea

Italy

513

307

286

199

125

Trade & Investment

Maritime & Logistics Services

7.2% shared · 2,615 families in both

United States

Japan

China

Germany

South Korea

8,146

6,361

4,144

3,442

2,840

Strategic Infrastructure

Dams, Reservoirs & Flood Defence

6.9% shared · 417 families in both

China

United States

Germany

Japan

South Korea

808

403

293

212

172

National Security

Sea Denial & Undersea Warfare

3.4% shared · 174 families in both

United States

Germany

China

France

Japan

308

277

266

139

138

Strategic Infrastructure

Logistics, Multimodal & Border Infrastructure

2.3% shared · 754 families in both

United States

Japan

China

Germany

South Korea

7,338

5,665

3,834

2,960

2,293

Strategic Infrastructure

Inland Waterways & Ferries

2.2% shared · 108 families in both

Japan

China

United States

South Korea

United Kingdom

324

216

161

124

46

Strategic Infrastructure

Oil & Gas Extraction

1.5% shared · 607 families in both

United States

China

Saudi Arabia

France

Norway

17,083

4,363

2,572

1,718

1,707

Strategic Infrastructure

Supply Chain & Ecosystem

1.2% shared · 271 families in both

Japan

United States

China

Germany

South Korea

5,464

3,990

2,382

2,036

1,428

Crosswalk

How Seaports & Terminals is matched to the patent classifications. The entries below were chosen for it; each stands for itself and everything beneath it in the scheme, 98 Cooperative entries in all. A patent family counts when any of its codes, in either scheme and at any office, falls under one of them. Codes since retired are placed under the entries that replaced them.

EntryTitle in the schemeWhy it is chosenCPC codesIPC codesDocuments
E02B3/06Moles; Piers; Quays; Quay walls; Groynes; Breakwaters ; Wave dissipating walls; Quay equipmentQuays, piers, moles and breakwaters6230,750
E02B3/20Equipment for shipping on coasts, in harbours or on other fixed marine structures, e.g. bollardsHarbour equipment: fenders, bollards, mooring fittings4416,213
B63C1/00Dry-docking of vessels or flying-boatsDry docks and dry-docking of vessels775,698
B63C3/00Launching or hauling-out by landborne slipways; SlipwaysSlipways and launching of vessels885,830
B63C5/00Equipment usable both on slipways and in dry docksEquipment for slipways and dry docks635,836
B63B73/00Building or assembling vessels or marine structures, e.g. hulls or offshore platformsShipbuilding: building and assembling hulls141227,024
B63B81/00Repairing or maintaining vesselsRepair and maintenance of vessels111,680
B66C19/00Cranes comprising trolleys or crabs running on fixed or movable bridges or gantriesGantry cranes, including container cranes5223,067
B65G63/00Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installationsTrans-shipment at harbours and storage yards17415,405
B65G67/60Loading or unloading shipsLoading and unloading ships4214,563
B63B27/00Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengersShipboard cargo loading and unloading equipment281753,695

CPC and IPC codes are the codes in use on patent documents, at any office, that fall under the entry. Documents is the larger of the two schemes' counts of documents carrying one of them. An entry with no IPC codes can be told apart only in the Cooperative scheme.

The Cooperative codes in use that count towards Seaports & Terminals: 100 codes on 156,859 documents. The full crosswalk is in the cpc-to-capability.csv download.

CodeTitleUnder entryHow placedDocuments
B63B27/24Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of pipe-linesB63B27/00In the scheme9,371
E02B3/06Moles; Piers; Quays; Quay walls; Groynes; Breakwaters ; Wave dissipating walls; Quay equipmentE02B3/06In the scheme7,944
B66C19/00Cranes comprising trolleys or crabs running on fixed or movable bridges or gantriesB66C19/00In the scheme6,918
B63B73/20Building or assembling prefabricated vessel modules or parts other than hull blocks, e.g. engine rooms, rudders, propellers, superstructures, berths, holds or tanksB63B73/00In the scheme5,870
B63B27/34Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for transfer at sea between ships or between ships and off-shore structures using pipe-linesB63B27/00In the scheme5,633
E02B3/26FendersE02B3/20In the scheme5,431
B63B27/14Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of ramps, gangways or outboard ladders ; Pilot liftsB63B27/00In the scheme4,463
B63B27/10Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of cranesB63B27/00In the scheme4,280
B65G63/004Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations for articles for containersB65G63/00In the scheme4,032
B63B73/43Welding, e.g. laser weldingB63B73/00In the scheme3,974
B65G67/606Loading or unloading ships using devices specially adapted for bulk materialB65G67/60In the scheme3,887
B63B73/60Building or assembling vessels or marine structures, e.g. hulls or offshore platforms characterised by the use of specific tools or equipment; characterised by automation, e.g. use of robotsB63B73/00In the scheme3,420
B63B73/00Building or assembling vessels or marine structures, e.g. hulls or offshore platformsB63B73/00In the scheme3,335
B63B27/16Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of lifts or hoistsB63B27/00In the scheme3,311
B63B27/36Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for floating cargoB63B27/00In the scheme3,224
B66C19/002Container cranesB66C19/00In the scheme3,055
B63B27/30Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for transfer at sea between ships or between ships and off-shore structuresB63B27/00In the scheme2,931
B66C19/007Cranes comprising trolleys or crabs running on fixed or movable bridges or gantries for containersB66C19/00In the scheme2,893
B63C5/02Stagings; Scaffolding; Shores or strutsB63C5/00In the scheme2,761
E02B3/062Constructions floating in operational condition, e.g. breakwaters or wave dissipating wallsE02B3/06In the scheme2,680
B63B27/143RampsB63B27/00In the scheme2,673
B63B73/10Building or assembling vessels from prefabricated hull blocks, i.e. complete hull cross-sectionsB63B73/00In the scheme2,211
B63B73/40Building or assembling vessels or marine structures, e.g. hulls or offshore platforms characterised by joining methodsB63B73/00In the scheme2,143
B63C1/02Floating docksB63C1/00In the scheme2,093
B63B73/49Building or assembling vessels or marine structures, e.g. hulls or offshore platforms characterised by joining methods by means of threaded members, e.g. screws, threaded bolts or nutsB63B73/00In the scheme2,068
B63B27/22Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of conveyers, e.g. of endless-belt or screw-typeB63B27/00In the scheme1,990
B65G67/60Loading or unloading shipsB65G67/60In the scheme1,958
E02B3/20Equipment for shipping on coasts, in harbours or on other fixed marine structures, e.g. bollardsE02B3/20In the scheme1,862
E02B3/064Floating landing-stagesE02B3/06In the scheme1,856
B65G67/603Loading or unloading ships using devices specially adapted for articlesB65G67/60In the scheme1,793
B63B27/08Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of winchesB63B27/00In the scheme1,790
B63B2027/165Deployment or recovery of underwater vehicles using lifts or hoistsB63B27/00In the scheme1,784
E02B3/068Landing stages for vesselsE02B3/06In the scheme1,776
E02B3/066QuaysE02B3/06In the scheme1,758
B63B27/00Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengersB63B27/00In the scheme1,702
B63B81/00Repairing or maintaining vesselsB63B81/00In the scheme1,615
B63B73/30Moving or transporting modules or hull blocks to assembly sites, e.g. by rolling, lifting or floatingB63B73/00In the scheme1,595
E02B3/24Mooring postsE02B3/20In the scheme1,552
B63B2027/141Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of ramps, gangways or outboard ladders ; Pilot lifts telescopically extendableB63B27/00In the scheme1,464
B63C3/06Launching or hauling-out by landborne slipways; Slipways by vertical movement of vessel, i.e. by craneB63C3/00In the scheme1,459
B63B27/25Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of pipe-lines for fluidised bulk materialB63B27/00In the scheme1,445
B63C3/12Launching or hauling-out by landborne slipways; Slipways using cradlesB63C3/00In the scheme1,396
B63B27/19Other loading or unloading equipment involving an intermittent action, not provided in groups B63B27/04 - B63B27/18B63B27/00In the scheme1,345
B63C2005/025Stagings, or scaffolding, i.e. constructions providing temporary working platforms on slipways, in building or repair docks, or inside hullsB63C5/00In the scheme1,312
B66C19/02Cranes comprising trolleys or crabs running on fixed or movable bridges or gantries collapsibleB66C19/00In the scheme1,297
B63B27/146Pilot ladders or similar outboard ladders, e.g. bathing ladders; Pilot liftsB63B27/00In the scheme1,277
B65G63/00Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installationsB65G63/00In the scheme1,144
B65G63/002Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations for articlesB65G63/00In the scheme1,053
B65G63/025Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations with essentially horizontal transit otherwise than by bridge for articles for containersB65G63/00In the scheme1,031
B66C19/005Straddle carriersB66C19/00In the scheme1,030
B63B27/12Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of cranes of gantry typeB63B27/00In the scheme945
B63B73/46Gluing; Taping; Cold-bondingB63B73/00In the scheme897
B63B27/04Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of derricks, i.e. employing ships' mastsB63B27/00In the scheme818
B65G63/045Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations with essentially-horizontal transit by bridges equipped with conveyors for articles for containersB65G63/00In the scheme807
B65G63/008Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations for bulk materialB65G63/00In the scheme720
B63C3/02Launching or hauling-out by landborne slipways; Slipways by longitudinal movement of vesselB63C3/00In the scheme671
E02B3/08Structures of loose stones with or without pilesE02B3/06In the scheme670
B63C3/08Tracks on slipwaysB63C3/00In the scheme654
B63C5/04Bilge or keel blocksB63C5/00In the scheme639
B63C2005/022Shores or struts, e.g. individual oblique support elements for stabilizing hulls in dry-docksB63C5/00In the scheme596
B63C3/00Launching or hauling-out by landborne slipways; SlipwaysB63C3/00In the scheme588
B63B27/18Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of cableways, e.g. with breeches-buoysB63B27/00In the scheme587
B63B73/50Building or assembling vessels or marine structures, e.g. hulls or offshore platforms characterised by forming methods, e.g. manufacturing of curved blocksB63B73/00In the scheme582
B63C1/08Graving docksB63C1/00In the scheme537
B63B27/28Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of chutesB63B27/00In the scheme510
B63C1/00Dry-docking of vessels or flying-boatsB63C1/00In the scheme478
B63C5/00Equipment usable both on slipways and in dry docksB63C5/00In the scheme427
B63B27/29Other loading or unloading equipment involving a continuous action, not provided in groups B63B27/22 - B63B27/28B63B27/00In the scheme414
B63B2027/145Inflatable rampsB63B27/00In the scheme381
E02B3/28Fender pilesE02B3/20In the scheme374
B63C1/06Arrangements of pumping or filling equipment for raising or lowering docksB63C1/00In the scheme370
B63C1/04Floating docks self dockingB63C1/00In the scheme363
B63B73/72Building or assembling vessels or marine structures, e.g. hulls or offshore platforms characterised by using moulds; Moulds or plugs therefor characterised by plastic moulding, e.g. injection moulding, extrusion moulding or blow mouldingB63B73/00In the scheme361
B65G67/62Loading or unloading ships using devices influenced by the tide or by the movements of the ship, e.g. devices on pontoonsB65G67/60In the scheme347
B63C1/12Docks adapted for special vessels, e.g. submarinesB63C1/00In the scheme336
B63B73/70Building or assembling vessels or marine structures, e.g. hulls or offshore platforms characterised by using moulds; Moulds or plugs thereforB63B73/00In the scheme318
B65G63/06Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations with essentially-vertical transitB65G63/00In the scheme304
B65G63/022Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations with essentially horizontal transit otherwise than by bridge for articlesB65G63/00In the scheme302
B65G63/065Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations with essentially-vertical transit for articles for containersB65G63/00In the scheme287
B63B27/32Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for transfer at sea between ships or between ships and off-shore structures using cablewaysB63B27/00In the scheme254
B65G63/047Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations with essentially-horizontal transit by bridges equipped with conveyors for bulk materialB65G63/00In the scheme231
B65G63/067Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations with essentially-vertical transit for bulk materialB65G63/00In the scheme221
B63B27/02Retired codeB63B27/00Retired, by main group202
B63C1/10Centring devicesB63C1/00In the scheme197
B65G63/02Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations with essentially horizontal transit otherwise than by bridgeB65G63/00In the scheme184
B63B73/74Building or assembling vessels or marine structures, e.g. hulls or offshore platforms characterised by using moulds; Moulds or plugs therefor characterised by lamination of materialsB63B73/00In the scheme175
B65G63/006Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations for articles for containers using slanted guidesB65G63/00In the scheme168
B63C3/04Launching or hauling-out by landborne slipways; Slipways by sideways movement of vesselB63C3/00In the scheme160
B65G63/04Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations with essentially-horizontal transit by bridges equipped with conveyorsB65G63/00In the scheme135
B63B27/06Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of derricks, i.e. employing ships' masts with slewing force exerted at pivoted endB63B27/00In the scheme118
B63B27/26Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for cargo or passengers of devices with throwing actionB63B27/00In the scheme117
B63C2005/027Stages, platforms, or seats suspended adjacent ship hulls on cables, chains, or the like, e.g. boatswain's chairsB63C5/00In the scheme101
B63C3/10Launching or hauling-out by landborne slipways; Slipways using releasing devicesB63C3/00In the scheme93
B65G63/027Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations with essentially horizontal transit otherwise than by bridge for bulk materialB65G63/00In the scheme80
B63B73/48RivetingB63B73/00In the scheme75
B65G63/042Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations with essentially-horizontal transit by bridges equipped with conveyors for articlesB65G63/00In the scheme55
B63B2027/148Pilot liftsB63B27/00In the scheme41
B63B27/20Retired codeB63B27/00Retired, by main group34
B63C3/14Launching or hauling-out by landborne slipways; Slipways using braking meansB63C3/00In the scheme29
B65G63/062Transferring or trans-shipping at storage areas, railway yards or harbours or in opening mining cuts; Marshalling yard installations with essentially-vertical transit for articlesB65G63/00In the scheme21
Match: Direct
The capability is itself a technology or a kind of physical system, and the classification names it. B66C19/00 includes factory gantry cranes (container cranes are B66C19/002 in CPC only); E02B3/06 also falls under the flood-defence rule E02B3/04. The crosswalk is a first pass that nobody has reviewed.

Other capabilities in Transport Infrastructure