The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by better fuel economy and speed efficiency, and growing importance of technologies such as RCS2 Ratio Control System by Aviationpros. In the last three years alone, there have been over 1.2 million patents filed and granted in the automotive industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in Automotive: Gear ratio control system. Buy the report here.
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 stabilising 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.
290+ 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 619,000 patents, there are 290+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, eccentric crankshaft gears, retarder brake system, and closed-circuit liquid cooling are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Bio-fuel ICEs, electromagnetic valve actuators, and road friction estimation are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are tyre bead fillers and vehicle turbochargers, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for the automotive industry

Gear ratio control system is a key innovation area in automotive
The gear ratio (rt) is the ratio of two mating gears' rotational speeds. It is, more precisely, the quotient of the input and output speeds (rt = ωs / ωe). If the gear ratio is less than one, the system may cause a reduction, while if it is greater than one, the system may cause a multiplication.
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 40+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of gear ratio control system.
Key players in gear ratio control system – a disruptive innovation in the automotive industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to gear ratio control system
Company | Total patents (2021 - 2023) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
Hyundai Motor Group | 218 | Unlock Company Profile |
Zeppelin-Stiftung | 135 | Unlock Company Profile |
Tokai Rika | 121 | Unlock Company Profile |
Kia | 113 | Unlock Company Profile |
Isuzu Motors | 82 | Unlock Company Profile |
Porsche Automobil Holding | 75 | Unlock Company Profile |
SL | 64 | Unlock Company Profile |
Honda Motor | 62 | Unlock Company Profile |
Tata Motors | 56 | Unlock Company Profile |
Nissan Motor | 50 | Unlock Company Profile |
Kongsberg Automotive | 42 | Unlock Company Profile |
Toyota Motor | 40 | Unlock Company Profile |
General Motors | 38 | Unlock Company Profile |
Stellantis | 30 | Unlock Company Profile |
Ford Motor | 24 | Unlock Company Profile |
Allison Transmission Holdings | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
Subaru | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
Renault | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
Kyung Chang Industrial | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
AB Volvo | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
JTEKT | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
Mazda Motor | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
MiddleGround Capital | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
Shimano | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
Ningbo Gaofa Automotive Control System Company | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
Aisin | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
Beijing Automotive Group | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
GHSP | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group Company | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
Fuji Heavy Industries | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
Denso | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
Kuester Automotive Door Systems | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
GETRAG FORD Transmissions | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
Tsuda Industries | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
Shandong Heavy Industry Group | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
China FAW Group | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
Yamaha Motor | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
Baoding Innovation Great Wall Asset Management Company | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
Honeywell International | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
Nidec | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
Fiat Group Automobiles | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
MANNOH INDUSTRIAL | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
Dongfeng Motor | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Panasonic | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Robert Bosch Stiftung | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Hyundai is one of the leading patent filers in gear ratio control systems. Hyundai pioneered the use of active shift control (ASC) transmission technology. The breakthrough improves transmission efficiency by monitoring gear shifts 500 times per second and precisely adjusting the transmission rotation speed to achieve faster shift times. The new technology will debut in the upcoming Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and will eventually benefit other Hyundai and Kia hybrids. Some other key patent filers in the automotive industry include Zeppelin-Stiftung, Tokai Rika, Kia, SL, and Honda.
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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