Tracking technology hotspots and application trends in the dual-carbon sector: a patent mining study from China

Tracking the technology hotspots in the dual-carbon field and exploring their application trends plays a key role in promoting the coordination and integration of technological innovation with green industrial development. Using the patent database of the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), this study explores the basic status of technology patents in the dual-carbon field. By applying methods such as patentometric study, theme extraction, hotspot evolution and semantic network analysis, it clarifies the characteristics of current technology hotspots and predicts future trends among 49652 patent data. The results show that cutting-edge technologies in the dual-carbon field are currently undergoing a phase of rapid breakthroughs. This field is characterised by several features: prominent horizontal hotspots, a vertically hierarchical and refined structure, and notable regional differentiation. The patent research and development (R&D) hotspots are concentrated in six key technology categories, including carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), solar energy utilisation, microalgae bio-sequestration and fermentation biogas technology, among others.These patent R&D hotspots underline the strong demand for green, energy-efficient, low-carbon and eco-innovative solutions in the dual-carbon field. Guided by the dual-carbon targets, development in this field is expected to progress towards the trends of diversified technology integration, the construction of facilities that synergize digital and green elements, and user-centric micro-level support.