Patents for power: Intellectual property and the geopolitics of nuclear energy technologies

This paper explores the role of intellectual property (IP) in the geopolitics of nuclear energy, addressing the growing importance of patents and technological control in shaping international power dynamics. It investigates two main research questions: how IP rights allocate power in the context of nuclear technologies, and how this power reshapes geopolitical relations in the nuclear industry. Using a mixed-method approach, the study first conducts interviews with nuclear industry stakeholders to identify the geopolitical dimensions of IP in nuclear technologies. This is complemented by a quantitative analysis of 56,310 nuclear energy-related patents, providing insights into the geographic distribution, value, and impact of IP rights. Qualitative results indicate that (1) IP rights allocate power through technological interdependencies, (2) the US can weaponize these interdependencies by using counter-proliferation regulations, (3) IP rights serve strategies to penetrate new geographic markets and as assets to secure funding, (4) patents sustain soft-power narratives. Finally, patenting data nuances previous research on nuclear geopolitics. Russia's dominance appears weaker than expected while the narrative over the supposed decline of Europe and the US is less clear-cut. Simultaneously, China's growing leadership in nuclear patenting activity sustains soft power narratives but fails to translate into geopolitical power as it lacks internationalization.