The DMTO technology developed by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has given rise to over 200 patents at home and abroad

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The DMTO technology developed by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has given rise to over 200 patents applied for both domestically and internationally. Author/Source: Date: 2017-07-04; Clicks: 18. In 2016, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics filed 1,228 patent applications and was granted 471 patents; it also established 8 companies through technology investment. The Intellectual Property Commissioner has made significant contributions in this regard. To date, the DMTO technology for producing low-carbon olefins developed by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has given rise to over 200 patents at home and abroad, establishing a comprehensive intellectual property protection system. This is the Shenhua Baotou DMTO project, located in the Jiuyuan Industrial Park of Baotou City in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is the world’s first large-scale chemical plant for producing olefins from methanol, and it also serves as a model project for modern coal chemical industry in China. The success of this project marks a significant breakthrough in the industrialization of DMTO technology, establishing China’s leading position in the global industrial production of coal-based olefins. Provided by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Abstract: Should one write the paper first or apply for a patent first? It’s a problem. How to turn patents into real productive forces? This is an even bigger problem. From papers to technology, to products, and then to the market, the various steps and barriers involved make it difficult for those who sell technology, as well as for those who buy it. We note that the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics files over 1,000 patent applications each year, ranking first among research institutions in the Liaoning region. We also note that the rate of technology transfer and commercialization at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics reaches 20%, which is far higher than the average rate for technology transfer and commercialization in China. We found that all 90-plus intellectual property specialists at DICP serve both as R&D personnel within the research teams and possess expertise in intellectual property. We also found that these IP specialists are involved throughout the entire process, from project initiation and acceptance, collaboration, and development to commercialization and negotiation; they start working on the commercialization aspects as soon as a patent application is filed. Please take a look at our newspaper’s investigation — Introduction At the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the “Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics”), there is a group of young people. With an average age of around 35, they are both the new force driving research and development within the scientific team and possess expertise in intellectual property. Thanks to their presence, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics maintains an annual patent application volume of over 1,000, demonstrating a significant role in promoting the transformation of research results into practical applications. They are the intellectual property officers at both the institute and the division levels of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics. Since 2008, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has implemented a system of intellectual property officers, which has played an important role in stabilizing patent applications and promoting the transformation of research results. In 2016, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics filed 1,228 patent applications and was granted 471 patents. It signed 238 contracts with enterprises, worth 310 million yuan in total, of which 260 million yuan was actually received. The funds allocated for research projects exceeded 800 million yuan. Over the past 10 years, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has seen more than 300 patents related to the transfer and commercialization of intellectual property, of which over 200 were patent transfers and more than 100 were patent licenses. To date, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has filed more than 8,000 patent applications, of which over 2,000 have been granted patents. The proportion of invention patents exceeds 94%, with more than 1,200 valid invention patents issued; the rate of transfer and commercialization is around 20%. A research team files sixty to seventy patents per year; professionals handle such tasks, and the rate of transfer and utilization of these patents is around 20%. \"Our rate of intellectual property transfer and utilization is about 20%, which is considered good in China, but it’s still a long way off the 40% rate seen in developed countries in terms of patent licensing and transfer.\" ”On June 9, Du Wei, director of the Intellectual Property Office at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, said. In 2008, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, in accordance with the requirements of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, began to establish an intellectual property officer system at both the academy and institute levels, formulated regulations for the management of such officers, and built a system and network for them. According to the regulations, the applied research group at Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics must appoint an intellectual property officer. The Intellectual Property Officer conducts intellectual property research and planning together with the project researchers at all stages of project initiation, implementation, acceptance, and subsequent development. For research teams undertaking **major projects and strategic pilot science and technology initiatives of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, it is required to appoint an intellectual property officer. “It is highly beneficial for patent strategy and the promotion of commercialization to have someone with knowledge of patents involved from the early stages of research and development. ”Du Wei told the reporter that most intellectual property officers hold master’s or doctoral degrees, possess professional knowledge in their fields, as well as appropriate expertise in patent law. To become a qualified intellectual property specialist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, one must pass 4 exams: the first concerns intellectual property laws, regulations, and policies; the second deals with patent applications, examination, reexamination, and invalidation; the third focuses on intellectual property research and utilization as well as the preparation of intellectual property analysis reports; the fourth relates to intellectual property strategy, management, and business practices. In the early stages of technology transfer, these intellectual property specialists can resolve basic issues related to intellectual property right at the front line. After several years of operation, all research groups at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics now have intellectual property officers; major project teams have full-time intellectual property officers, while other research groups have part-time ones. Tian Yang, who works at the Research Center for Alkoxide Fuel Cells and Composite Energy Sources, is one of the first intellectual property specialists trained by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics. In 2010, Tian Yang passed the exam and became an intellectual property specialist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “When I started working in 2009, the number of patent applications submitted by our team was less than 20 per year; now it has risen to sixty or seventy applications per year. ”Tian Yang said that once she became an intellectual property specialist, one of her key tasks was to fully understand the trends in technological development and the state of the industry, to conduct patent searches and analyses, and to file for patents as soon as technical breakthroughs were achieved within the project team. She aimed to apply for as many patents as possible that were innovative, highly technological, and of high quality, thereby laying a solid foundation for the subsequent transfer and application of those achievements. Over the course of last year, Tian Yang submitted 78 patent applications, which is almost equivalent to the standard workload of a patent agent. Through technology investment, 8 companies were established, with a total value of over 200 million yuan. Intellectual property specialists were involved in every stage, from project initiation and approval to negotiation for technology transfer. Reporters learned that at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, such specialists are involved in all aspects of projects, including their initiation and approval, collaborative development efforts, and negotiations regarding technology transfer, thus becoming an essential part of the project teams’ operations. For example, before a patent application is submitted to a patent agent, an intellectual property officer must first conduct a search to verify it, after which it can be submitted to the office, and finally to the patent agency ； 　The intellectual property contracts of the project team must also be reviewed by the intellectual property officer before they can be submitted to the research institute, thereby avoiding legal risks from the outset and ensuring the smooth transition of technical achievements into practical applications. “Our project team initiated the commercialization efforts as soon as the patent was applied for, and achieved fairly good results. ”Tian Yang said that in 2010, her project team invested 2.6 million yuan by contributing 3 patents, and together with Dalian Guozheng Technology Development Co., Ltd., they established Dalian Aimirui Battery Co., Ltd., thereby enabling the industrial application of those technological achievements. Aimegui Company is mainly engaged in the research, development, and production of new green magnesium-based batteries, achieving good economic benefits. Due to its excellent economic and social benefits, the project team’s patent \"Conductive polymer/metal/proton exchange membrane composite membrane and its preparation and application\" won the Excellence Award at the 18th China Patent Awards as well as the Second Prize for Scientific and Technological Inventions in Liaoning Province. To date, the research team led by Tian Yang has filed more than 200 patents, of which over 90 have been approved. Du Wei believes that the purpose of establishing the Intellectual Property Commissioner system is to strengthen early-stage top-level planning and systematic design for intellectual property, emphasize dynamic management after its creation, and highlight the process of transferring and transforming outcomes with patent management at its core. “We have integrated intellectual property coordination services into specific innovation and R&D activities, enhancing the management and services related to intellectual property protection as well as the transfer and commercialization of outcomes. ” “Guo Decai, the intellectual property specialist of the \"Advanced Secondary Batteries Research Group\" project team, told reporters that their two scientific achievements – \"A Sulfur Electrode and Its Preparation and Applications\" and \"High Specific Energy Lithium-Sulfur Batteries and Battery Packs\" – were valued at 41 million yuan after evaluation. In June 2016, these technologies were used as capital investment in a partnership with Dalian Paisi Investment Co., Ltd., to establish Zhongke Paisi Energy Storage Technology Co., Ltd. in the Dalian Economic and Technological Development Zone, a company dedicated to the research and development as well as production of lithium-sulfur batteries. Currently, a pilot production line for 2MWh lithium-sulfur batteries has been built, and pilot production of these batteries is underway. “Next, we will accelerate the pursuit of patent protection and technical safeguards for lithium-sulfur battery systems. These new technologies will soon be demonstrated in electric vehicles and drones, offering very promising prospects. ” “In 2016, 29 patents from the institute were transferred and commercialized, generating nearly 50 million yuan in revenue from patent licensing and transfers. Eight companies were established by investing patented intangible assets as capital, with a valuation of over 200 million yuan. Among them, the Intellectual Property Commissioner played a positive role. ”Du Wei said. The Intellectual Property Operation Center is under construction, with the aim of revitalizing intangible assets and cultivating more skilled technology brokers. China lacks oil but is rich in coal; therefore, developing coal chemical technologies that use coal as a raw material to produce petroleum-based products is a crucial issue related to the country’s long-term economic stability and energy security. The reporter noted that, building on the completion of the world’s first industrial-scale test of the methanol-to-olefins (DMTO) technology on a ten-thousand-ton scale, the DMTO team at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics developed a complete set of industrialized DMTO technologies. This led to the first industrial application of this technology, contributing to the implementation of China’s strategy for replacing petroleum with alternative sources and to the diversification of olefin feedstocks. The world’s first plant capable of producing 600,000 tons of olefins from 1.8 million tons of coal-based methanol began trial operations successfully in August 2010, and entered commercial operation in January 2011. Since 1991, more than 200 patents for DMTO technology have been applied for both domestically and internationally, establishing a comprehensive intellectual property protection system. To date, 12 sets of DMTO technology have been successfully put into operation, achieving a production capacity of 6.46 million tons per year of low-carbon olefins and generating substantial economic benefits. Furthermore, this project won multiple awards, including the **First Prize for Technical Invention in 2014 and the China Patent Gold Award**. At present, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics is building an intellectual property operation center that brings together the institute’s intellectual property specialists as well as high-level legal experts from outside to promote patent management and realize the value of intellectual property. “By establishing a platform to provide in-depth insights into technology, we enable companies to understand what our technological achievements can do for them; through patent value analysis, we help researchers understand how much their technologies are worth, thereby enhancing the connection between the supply side and the demand side. ”Du Wei described the role of the Intellectual Property Operation Center in these terms. Cultivating interdisciplinary talents who understand technology, law, and economics, and building a professional team of technical brokers, is key to platform development. Du Wei explained that Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has developed a series of courses tailored for intellectual property specialists, such as research on patent strategy, assessment of patent value, and practical training in patent search and analysis, to help them improve their professional skills. At the same time, through a project-based approach, intellectual property specialists are guided to conduct research and analysis on patent strategies. The Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics also rewards individuals and teams that contribute to the commercialization of patents. In 2011, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics established an incentive system that included a special award for outstanding work in patenting, thereby adjusting the existing reward framework to encourage the transformation and application of intellectual property. Since 2012, a total of 71 outstanding teams have been recognized, including those awarded prizes for excellent patent applications, grants, and implementations, as well as advanced groups in patent work during the 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans; these recognitions have had a positive motivating effect on the protection of intellectual property and technology transfer within research groups. Through years of cultivation and training, the vast majority of applied research teams in the institute have appointed institute-level intellectual property officers, thus forming a team of such officers who are stationed at the forefront of scientific research and possess the professional expertise specific to the Institute of Chemistry. At present, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has over 70 intellectual property officers at the institute level and 24 at the division level, making it the institute with the largest number of such officers among the physical research institutes under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. On January 1 this year, the \"Specifications for Intellectual Property Management in Scientific Research Organizations\" (**standard**) came into effect. It is worth noting that these specifications specifically mention intellectual property officers. The intellectual property specialist system at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics undoubtedly provides a useful model for the scientific research institutions in our province.