The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity in independent suspension steering is driven by improved drive comfort, fuel efficiency, and emission reduction, and growing importance of technologies such as steer-by-wire, adaptive damping, and air suspension. In the last three years alone, there have been over 720,000 patents filed and granted in the automotive industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in automotive: independent suspension steering. Buy the report here.
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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 Foresights, 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, multi-spark ignition, integrated multi-motor drivetrains and vehicle auxiliary drives are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Solar range extenders, turbocharger shaft bearings, and multi-lamellar clutches 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
Independent suspension steering is a key innovation area in automotive
Independent suspension steering refers to a system that allows each wheel of a vehicle to move vertically and independently from the others, while still being connected to the steering mechanism. This type of suspension provides improved handling, stability, and comfort by reducing the transfer of vibrations and shocks from the road to the vehicle. It allows each wheel to maintain optimal contact with the road surface, resulting in better traction and control.
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 185+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of independent suspension steering.
Key players in independent suspension steering – 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 independent suspension steering
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Porsche Automobil is one of the leading patent filers in independent suspension steering. In Porsche’s independent suspension system, each wheel is allowed to move independently of the other wheels. when one wheel encounters a bump or irregularity in the road, it can move up and down without significantly affecting the other wheels. Independent suspension provides several benefits, including improved ride comfort, better handling, and enhanced traction, because each wheel can maintain better contact with the road surface. Ford Motor and Honda Motor are some of the other key patent filers in this space.
In terms of application diversity, Butchers & Bicycles leads the pack, while GIBBS TECHNOLOGY and Icahn Enterprises stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Butchers & Bicycles held the top position, followed by Immsi and KYB.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the automotive industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Automotive.
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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.
