Abstract: Most innovation research on energy storage in China mostly focuses on single technology optimization or local application analysis, lacking a systematic combing of research hotspots, evolution trends, and cooperation networks. This study aims to explore the hot topics and cutting-edge directions of energy storage innovation research in China, so as to provide references for relevant academic research and industrial practice. Taking the Chinese Journal Database of CNKI as the data source, relevant literatures up to October 2025 were retrieved. After screening and cleaning, 510 valid samples were obtained. Using Cite Space 6.4.R1 software, based on bibliometric principles and visualization technologies, analyses were conducted on the number of published papers, author and institutional cooperation networks, highly cited literatures, keyword co-occurrence, and evolution paths. The research reveals that energy storage innovation research in China presents the characteristic of stepwise growth driven by policies, which can be clearly divided into three stages: the basic exploration period (2004-2020), the rapid development period (2021-2023), and the high-quality development period (2024 and beyond). Policy orientation directly drives the research evolution from "whether there is technology" to "the strength of quality". The research cooperation network shows a pattern of "local collaboration and overall dispersion": the density of the author cooperation network is 0.0049, and the density of the institutional cooperation network is only 0.0034, indicating a lack of in-depth cross-group and cross-regional collaboration. Highly cited literatures are concentrated in 2017-2023, highlighting the dual-drive characteristics of policy and practice, and closely focusing on three core themes: energy transition, technological breakthroughs, and development strategies. Research hotspots form a synergistic system around four dimensions, including core energy storage technologies and applications, policy orientation and energy transition, industrial development and high-quality advancement, as well as innovation-driven and talent support. Core keywords such as "new energy", "energy storage technology", and "carbon neutrality" play a bridging role among various themes. This study summarizes the development context and core characteristics of energy storage innovation research in China. Based on the research findings, specific prospects are put forward from five aspects: tackling key core technologies, improving collaborative innovation networks, promoting in-depth industrial implementation, improving the talent support system, and strengthening policy coordination and guarantee. It provides references for deepening academic research and promoting high-quality industrial development in the field of energy storage.

Key words: energy storage innovation, bibliometric analysis, knowledge map, research hotspots, evolution trends