The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the wider approach for better road safety, enhanced driving experience, as well as the increasing importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, Internet of Things, robotics, electrification, connected and autonomous vehicles. In the last three years alone, there have been over 1.7 million patents filed and granted in the automotive industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in automotive: electroluminscent vehicle displays. Buy the report here.

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Data Insights Innovation in Automotive: Electroluminscent vehicle displays

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The dashboard of a car is where electroluminescent display technology is typically used. These boards are used in audio equipment and a display-equipped electronic device. In addition, it is used in display-equipped audio equipment and other electronic devices. Electroluminescent displays have better lighting than LCD displays, and they are also used in calculators, mobile phones, watch dial illumination, and keypad illumination.

However, not all innovations are equal, and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.

Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.

300+ innovations will shape the automotive industry

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresight, which plots the S-curve for the automotive industry using innovation intensity models built on over one million patents, there are 300+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Within the emerging innovation stage, integrated multi-motor drivetrains, electric power steering (EPS), and post-collision handing are useful technologies that are in the early stages of wider application and should be tracked closely. Variable compression engines, V2V distance monitoring, and turbocharger shaft bearings are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) and plasma-jet ignition, which are now well-established in the industry.

Innovation S-curve for the automotive industry

Electroluminescent vehicle displays is a key innovation area in automotive

Electroluminescent displays work by means of the electroluminescence phenomenon and are used in industrial, instrumentation, and transportation applications.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 30+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of electroluminescent vehicle displays.

Key players in electroluminescent vehicle displays – a disruptive innovation in the automotive industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators. 

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.

Patent volumes related to electroluminescent vehicle displays

G-Smatt Global is one of the top companies innovating in electroluminescent vehicle display. The company's primary focus is on the production and development of advanced integrated ICT product that possesses the fundamental properties of transparent glass and can simultaneously display media images. Ultravision Technologies, Partners For Growth, and Koninklijke Philips are a few other notable patent filers in the electroluminescent vehicle display space.

In terms of application diversity, Avery Dennison held the top position, while Panasonic and Ultravision Technologies stood in second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Ultravision Technologies leads the pack, followed by Partners For Growth and Avery Dennison.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the automotive industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Automotive.

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.