The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has released the 2026 World Intellectual Property Report: The Flow of Technology, which systematically sorts out the current status, trends of global technology diffusion and knowledge flow, and their impact on the global innovation pattern based on 250 years of technological history and 50 years of global patent and scientific publication data.
The report notes that the U.S., Western Europe and Japan have long led global innovation, while China has become an important leader in deep technology with an increasingly prominent role.
Key data shows that the speed of international knowledge flow has doubled over the past 50 years, and geographical barriers have been weakened. Digital technology is the core driving force for technology diffusion, with AI technology standing out particularly — ChatGPT gained global users within days, reducing the diffusion cycle from decades to days.
The tech gap between developed and developing economies is narrowing — some Asian countries outpace developed ones in certain digital tech usage, and China is a deep tech leader. But digital inequality and slow tech transformation persist, especially in Africa and Latin America.
The speed of global cross-border technology diffusion has increased significantly, providing catch-up opportunities for developing economies. However, the creation, absorption and reuse of technological knowledge remain highly concentrated in a few developed economies such as the United States, Japan and Germany, resulting in prominent unbalanced development.
The report provides clear directions for formulating and optimizing global innovation policies based on current trends.
Differentiated Adaptation is the Core Premise of Technology Diffusion
Different technologies diffuse differently due to their modularity, capital intensity, infrastructure needs and regulations; countries must abandon the "one-size-fits-all" approach and formulate adaptive strategies to support orderly diffusion.
Institutional Adaptability Must Keep Pace with the Rhythm of Technology Flow
With faster tech flow and shorter cycles, public policies matter more; the IP system must balance innovation incentives and tech access, and policy makers should improve infrastructure and regulation to adapt to new tech flow rhythms.
The Hidden Gaps Behind "Technological Convergence" Cannot Be Ignored
The gap in technology usage intensity between developed and developing economies is gradually narrowing, but this convergence is only superficial; digital development inequality remains unchanged, and developing economies still face problems such as weak infrastructure and insufficient digital literacy, making it difficult for them to fully absorb technological dividends.
The WIPO report outlines new global tech flow trends: accelerated diffusion brings new space, but innovation imbalance and developing economies’ capacity gaps pose challenges; global collaboration and improved governance are needed to share tech dividends.
Source：https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/world-intellectual-property-report-2026-technology-on-the-move-executive-summary/zh/executive-summary.html
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