In what has been called “a major victory for British innovation on the global stage,” Huddersfield-based AI pioneers SimplifAI Systems Limited have been officially granted an Invention Patent by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA).
This achievement places the Yorkshire-based firm in an elite group of Western AI companies to successfully navigate the rigorous Chinese patenting process.
The patent, titled “Traffic Strategy System and Method of Implementing the Same” (Patent No. ZL202080021001.8), recognizes the company’s breakthrough in using artificial intelligence to optimize urban infrastructure. This new Chinese grant joins the company’s existing intellectual property portfolio, which includes a granted UK patent (GB2598661) and a pending US patent application for its goal-centred
AI traffic management methods.
International expansion is supported by TusPark UK, an early investor that recognised the global potential for SimplifAI’s innovative AI-based approach to intelligent transport management.
Colin Tan, Director of Operations for TusPark Holdings (UK), who had led the cross- border programme, the UK’s first with China, says: “We are proud to support SimplifAI all these years, with advice, investment, and network in China. This is a mission we take seriously, as we help British companies of all sizes navigate and
grow in the Chinese market.
Securing a patent in China is a notoriously complex hurdle for foreign technology firms. SimplifAI’s successful application highlights the global relevance and technical novelty of their AI-driven approach to traffic management.
The system was developed by a team of leading experts in AI and transport, including Keith McCabe, Lee McCluskey, James Blackwood, and Mauro Vallati. Their work focuses on solving the universal challenge of urban congestion and environmental impact through automated, real-time strategy implementation.
By securing this patent, SimplifAI Systems Ltd not only protects its intellectual property in one of the world’s largest markets but also paves the way for international collaborations that could redefine how modern cities move.
(Picture: SimplifAI Systems Ltd)
