The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by factors such as safety, emission standards, reliability, and ride comfort and growing importance of technologies such as smart tread, open design, anti-skid arms made of resilient elastic attached to the wheel rim. 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: anti-skid tire treads. 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

Anti-skid tire treads is a key innovation area in automotive

Antiskid tire treads provide a secure, comfortable ride on snow and ice and significantly increase safety due to their wear-resistant and antiskid design. They also guarantee a smooth ride for the car by having excellent grip performance.

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 70+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of anti-skid tire treads.

Key players in anti-skid tire treads – 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 anti-skid tire treads

The Yokohama Rubber is one of the leading patent filers in anti-skid tire treads. It recently developed a new, non-directional tread pattern that provides outstanding traction in both forward and reverse modes, while enhancing efficiency. Some other key patent filers in the innovation area include Sumitomo Electric Industries, Bridgestone, Compagnie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, and Continental.

In terms of application diversity, Sumitomo Electric Industries held the top position, while The Yokohama Rubber and Continental stood in second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, Zeon leads the pack, followed by Trinseo and Kuraray.

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.