Mapping innovations in direct air capture: A systematic patent review and literature comparison

초록

Direct air capture (DAC) technologies are gaining increasing attention in both academic and industrial sectors as an essential negative emission technology (NET) in meeting climate change targets. To advance DAC research, this study presents a comprehensive review of DAC technologies from a patent perspective, aiming to understand its current status, future technological trends, and market opportunities. Through two rounds of rigorous screening, 367 patents were finalized and categorized into four sub-technological groups for further analysis: liquid absorption-based DAC, solid adsorption-based DAC, emerging DAC technologies, and DAC integration and application. The temporal trend, geographical distributions, assignee patterns, as well as key technological hotspots within each subgroup, are investigated with comparison with literature. The findings reveal that DAC, once a niche technology, is now strongly driven by commercial interests, with the United States leading in patent filings, followed by China and Europe. Industrial entities dominate the patent landscape, accounting for 72 % of filings. DAC innovations will likely attract growing attention in the coming years, with an expanding diversity of technological approaches.

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