Bengaluru, Jan 12 (IANS): With over 900 patents, India became the second largest contributor in the world to help IBM achieve a milestone of most patents ever awarded to a US company, the IT giant announced on Tuesday.

The scientists and researchers received 9,130 US patents in 2020, the most of any company, marking 28 consecutive years of IBM patent leadership. IBM led the industry in the number of Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud, quantum computing and security-related patents granted.

"The world needs scientific thinking and action more than ever. IBM's sustained commitment to investing in research and development, both in good and in challenging times, has paved the way for new products and new frontiers of information technology that have greatly benefited our clients and society," Dario Gil, Senior Vice President and Director of IBM Research, said in a statement.

"The culture of innovation at IBM is stronger than ever, thanks to our inventors worldwide who devote themselves to advancing the boundaries of knowledge in their respective fields every single day," Gil added.

IBM received more than 2,300 AI patents as inventors developed new AI technologies to help businesses scale their use of AI. It also received more than 3,000 patents related to cloud and hybrid cloud technologies. Quantum computing is a major focus for IBM and this is reflected in IBM's leadership in quantum computing patents, the company said.

Patents were awarded to more than 9,000 inventors located in 46 US states and 54 countries. Since 1920, IBM has received more than 150,000 US patents and played a crucial role in innovations ranging from magnetic storage to laser eye surgery.