WIPO discussed green technologies in metallurgy and mining activities
June 08, 2023 | Metallurgical Lab
Although the mining and metallurgical sectors are still seen as environmentally unfriendly industries, innovation in these sectors has been increasing since the beginning of the century, including in the development of green technologies.
Four years ago, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released a study measuring innovation in the mining industry with patents, “Mining patent data: Measuring innovation in the mining industry with patents”, showing a sharp increase in the number of correlated patent applications since 2005, which is a clear sign of the growth in investments in R&D and innovation made by these industries. This study also showed that patent applications dedicated to environmental improvements represented 12.6% of all patent applications filed in these fields from 1990 to 2015.
From the above, we can see that the characterization of the metallurgy and mining industries as eco-unfriendly is misleading. Companies in these fields globally are investing in R&D and innovative technologies, making enterprises more sustainable. Moreover, the patent offices, including the Brazilian Patent and Trademark Office, are doing their part to guarantee an accessible and fast way to protect companies’ rights in these technologies. This union of efforts must be continued and shared more broadly, since it leads to more efficient and sustainable industries while assisting in the conservation of the environment.