As the world’s largest trade bloc, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is playing an increasingly important role not only in trade and investment integration but also in shaping patterns of innovation and knowledge diffusion across the region. Bringing together 15 economies across Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, RCEP creates new opportunities for technological exchange, regional learning, and deeper innovation linkages. Understanding these patterns is essential for assessing the region’s future competitiveness and development trajectory.
This seminar examines the technological landscape of the RCEP region through the lens of patent data. Often described as an underutilised “information goldmine”, patent data can reveal patterns of technological development, collaboration and commercialisation that are often overlooked by conventional indicators. Drawing on the PATSTAT patent database, the session also introduces practical methodologies for interpreting patent statistics and discusses their limitations.
By combining data-driven insights with policy perspectives, the seminar offers participants a useful framework for understanding innovation trends and emerging opportunities for regional collaboration.