China Holds 80% of Underwater Data Center Patents
A study of 168 patents from 2006 to 2026 finds China dominates the emerging field of seabed-based computing.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Data Centers
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Researchers from Tianjin analyzed 168 underwater data centre patents published between 2006 and 2026 and found China holds about 80 percent of them. South Korea holds 17 patents and the United States holds eight.
Why it matters
Underwater data centres use seawater as a natural cold source, reducing the energy and water needed for cooling and avoiding the use of land, which matters as growing demand from data centres and artificial intelligence strains power supplies. The patent concentration signals which countries may shape the technology's commercial development.
The study analysed 168 patents covering 2006 to 2026, and Microsoft's Project Natick servers deployed off Scotland from 2018 for two years showed a failure rate one-eighth that of a land-based control group. Whether these early engineering results hold at commercial scale is not addressed by the patent data.
The players
Microsoft
Microsoft is a major American technology company whose Project Natick experiment tested sealed underwater server capsules.
The details
Underwater data centres place computing equipment in sealed capsules on the seabed, using seawater to dissipate heat. Early development before 2014 was led mostly by firms and institutes in the United States, Norway and Canada, while patent growth since 2021 has been driven by China.
Timeline
2006-2026: Patent study period covering 168 underwater data centre patents.
Before 2014: Early development led by US, Norway and Canadian firms.
2018: Microsoft Project Natick servers deployed off Scotland for two years.
Since 2021: China emerged as the growth engine, holding around 80 percent of patents.
The Tech Race
Microsoft's Project Natick, deployed off Scotland from 2018, was an early Western test of seabed server capsules that showed a failure rate one-eighth that of land servers. Since 2021 China has taken the lead in patent filings, and the study suggests its underwater sector will move from nearshore sites into the deep sea.
For most users the immediate effect is indirect, since underwater data centres remain at an early stage and their services are not yet widely available. The technology could eventually affect the energy costs and cooling demands that shape the cloud services people use.
The takeaway
Patent leadership in underwater computing points to which countries may define the next generation of energy-efficient data infrastructure. Readers tracking cloud costs should watch whether seabed facilities move from pilot projects to commercial deployment.
Further reading
Explore more on Data Centers to see how cooling and power demands are shaping new facility designs.
Source note: This article includes information reported by South China Morning Post.
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