April 26 is World Intellectual Property Day. The transformation and application of patents connects innovation and industry, and is an important focal point and driving force for developing new quality productive forces. As a global leader in high-end equipment manufacturing, Zoomlion has always closely integrated technological R&D with industrial needs throughout its development, transforming innovatively developed patented technologies into industrial competitiveness, achieving its own leapfrog development and becoming a model of technological industrialization in China's high-end equipment manufacturing industry.

From "Zero Breakthrough" to "Industry First"

On June 8, 1985, the first patent in China's construction machinery industry, the "vibratory pile hammer," was born at the Changsha Construction Machinery Research Institute, the predecessor of Zoomlion. Since its founding, Zoomlion has carried an innovation gene, continuously and deeply integrating high-value patented technological achievements into the industrial chain and forming a closed loop of "R&D—protection—application," unleashing surging momentum for high-quality development.

▲The "vibratory pile hammer" patent representing a "from 0 to 1" breakthrough

For example, the 101-meter carbon fiber boom concrete pump truck incorporates 120 patented technologies; the first domestic 3,000-ton-class ultra-large crawler crane possesses more than 50 related independent intellectual property rights, including more than 20 invention patents; and world-class benchmark products released last year—including the world's largest 4,000-ton-class all-terrain crane, the world's largest 23,800-ton-meter tower crane, the world's highest 82-meter straight-boom aerial work platform, and the world's largest hybrid mining truck—have all formed multi-dimensional and rigorous patent protection networks targeting key core technologies.

To date, Zoomlion has cumulatively applied for nearly 18,000 patents, including nearly 8,000 invention patents and nearly 600 PCT international patent applications. It has also established a comprehensive intellectual property layout in more than 90 countries and regions worldwide, ranking first in the industry in the Chinese Enterprise Patent Strength Score for consecutive years and first in the industry in the number of invention patents cited more than 10 times. It has also won the highest award in China's patent field—the China Patent Gold Award—four times, ranking first in the industry.

▲Zoomlion has won the China Patent Gold Award four times

In addition, Zoomlion has cumulatively led or participated in the formulation and revision of 289 national standards and 403 industry and association standards, ranking first in the industry in the number of standards formulated and revised; it has led or participated in the formulation and revision of more than 30 international standards, making it the first Chinese enterprise in the industry to lead the formulation and revision of international standards that have been officially published and issued, as well as the Chinese enterprise with the largest number of such publications.

Intellectual Property "Moat" Supports the Development of Future Industries

With continuously increasing R&D investment and the development and application of new technologies, Zoomlion, through the virtuous cycle of "technological innovation—patent protection—standard consolidation—industrial upgrading," continues to lead the industry in upgrading toward high-end, intelligent, and green directions, while also building a future industrial ecosystem. At present, Zoomlion has applied for more than 2,500 patents in digital and intelligent fields such as generative AI, big data, simulation technology, digital twins, and interconnection, including nearly 2,000 invention patents, ranking among the top in the industry in invention patent applications, and has been issued a data intellectual property registration certificate. With a comprehensive intellectual property layout, Zoomlion is continuously cultivating and developing future industries.

▲A view of the smart factory in Zoomlion's Smart Industrial City

On the one hand, Zoomlion actively integrates innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence with advanced manufacturing, fully penetrating every production link to build an end-to-end excellent intelligent manufacturing operation system, achieving comprehensive intelligent manufacturing upgrades from complete machines to components. On the other hand, Zoomlion continues to achieve innovative breakthroughs in technical fields such as AI large models, embodied intelligence, and digital twins, extending its industrial boundaries into the field of humanoid robots. In 2024, it has already launched one wheeled humanoid robot and one bipedal humanoid robot prototype, initially realizing some simple basic daily-life movements as well as operations such as logistics handling and sorting in factories.

▲Zoomlion humanoid robots working in the production workshop

A relevant person in charge of Zoomlion introduced: "In the field of humanoid robots, we are developing both the body and the integrated system simultaneously. In 2025, we will also launch multiple wheeled humanoid robots and establish a training ground for 50 robots, while also completing the construction of a sim-to-real simulation platform. In the future, with continuous technological breakthroughs, every product of Zoomlion is expected to become an 'embodied intelligent device' and achieve 'robotization.'"

From the spark of the "vibratory pile hammer" to a patent matrix covering the globe, from competitive advantages in construction machinery to the future industry of humanoid robots, Zoomlion leads industry innovation through the industrialization and transformation of high-value patents, writing a vivid chapter in the leap from Made in China to Intelligently Made in China and Created in China. In the future, Zoomlion will, with a more open innovation ecosystem, help China's high-end equipment manufacturing climb to the high end of the global value chain and inject strong momentum into sustained high-quality development.