The Korean Intellectual Property Office posted some interesting figures today. They report that Korean companies are securing essential patents related to the commercialization of graphene - and several companies are making inroads into graphene production and manufacturing transparent graphene-based displays.

Between 2005 and June 2013 a total of 2,921 graphene-related patents have been applied for in Korea, and the rate is accelerating quickly. 93% of those patents have been applied for by Korean individuals and organizations.

Researchers from Korea's Sungkyunkwan University developed a highly flexible and transparent memory device using graphene electrodes (both and anode and the cathode). This is the first time graphene is used for the bottom electrode in such a device, and this was achieved by using a chemical union of the bottom electrode with the molecular film of organic molecules (which is placed between the two electrodes).

This is not the first graphene based flexible memory device. In October 2012 researchers from Rice University developed highly transparent (95%), flexible, nonvolatile resistive memory devices based on silicon oxide (SiOx) and graphene. In March 2013 Researchers from EPFL designed a new flexible, small and fast flash memory cell prototype from graphene and Molybdenite (MoS2).

South Korea is planning to spend around 47 billion won ($40 million) in the next six years on graphene technologies. The Korean government (or specifically the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, MOTIE) wants to help local companies to commercialize graphene, and more than half of the investments will be given to small businesses.

Korea is ranking third in the world by number of graphene patents. Samsung is the company that holds the largest amount of graphene patents in the world, while Korea's Sungkyunkwan University is the world's leading research institute (if we rank by graphene patents, again).

UK patent consultancy CambridgeIP researched graphene patents and they say that the UK may be falling behind in the graphene race. CambridgeIP identified 7,351 graphene patents (and patent applications), and the leading countries by graphene patents are china (2,204), US (1,754) and Korea (1,160). The UK has only 54 graphene patent applications. Back in February the UK government announced a £50 million graphene drive, which aims to bring the country back to the forefront of graphene research.

The leading research institutes (by patents) are Sungkyunkwan University (Korea, 134), Zhejiang University (China, 97), Tsinghua University (China, 92), Rice University (US, 56), MIT (US, 34) and finally Manchester University (16).

Researchers at Samsung and Sungkyunkwan University in Korea have produced a large layer of pure graphene - as large as a TV panel. The 30" sheet was produced using a roll-to-roll printing process, and the Graphene was disposed on a polyester sheet.

Such large Graphene can be used in flat panel displays.