The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the need for enhanced driving experience, fuel efficiency, and engine performance, and growing importance of technologies such as air brakes, electrification, connected and autonomous vehicles. 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: self-sealing tires. 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 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, multi-spark ignition, integrated multi-motor drivetrains and vehicle auxiliary drives are useful technologies that are in the early stages of wider 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 auto-transmission lubrication circuits and electroluminscent vehicle displays, which are now well-established in the industry.

Innovation S-curve for the automotive industry

Self-sealing tires is a key innovation area in automotive

Tires that self-seal have an inner layer of sealant material. When the tire is punctured by a nail or other foreign object, the sealant layer seals the hole to keep the air inside and keep the tire inflated.

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 85+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of self-sealing tires.

Key players in self-sealing tires – 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 self-sealing tires

Bridgestone is one of the leading innovators in self-sealing tires. Bridgestone’s Selfseal technology is designed for sealing punctures up to 14" (6mm) caused by items that are most likely to be stranded on the roads such as nails and screws. It uses a natural rubber sealant material that has no effect on rolling resistance and maintains all other tire performances, while being environment friendly. Other major companies innovating in this technology domain are Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, The Yokohama Rubber, Sumitomo Electric Industries, and Continental.

In terms of application diversity, Bridgestone held the top position, while The Yokohama Rubber and Sumitomo Electric Industries stood in second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Oracle leads the pack, followed by Texmag Gmbh Vertriebsgesellschaft and Safran.

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.