IP Trends in the Aerospace Sector 2023

In the race for world supremacy, few sectors are as competitive as the aerospace industry, with academia and research organizations making critical contributions to the advancement of innovation. We examine the patent dynamics for Academics and Research Organizations to establish the latest trends in this crucial technological field. 

The patent filing dynamic for academics and research organizations in the aerospace field is not only high but also following an exponential growth curve.​ However, this isn’t the only remarkable finding from our study of patent and investment trends in the aerospace industry.

Download the report now to discover technology investment trends, R&D hotspots, the technical domain focus of the top 20 players, major concept fields and more.

Key findings of our research on IP trends in the aerospace sector include:

• The dominance of Chinese R&D
  Data shows a remarkable domination of research and development (R&D) by academics and research organizations in China, with 81% of the total number of inventions. As a comparison, Chinese organizations usually account for around 50% of inventions in most other technical domains.
• Aerospace is heading towards 6G
  Telecommunications 5G networks and beyond (6G) are starting to find their place in the aerospace field with 1,170 patent families.​ This technical field has seen a booming growth rate, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of ~70% from 2016 to 2021. (Find out more about 6G patents.)
• Artificial intelligence is in the sky
  The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning and neural networks to the aerospace field is speeding up, with 4% of aerospace patent families AI-related and a remarkable CAGR of ~66%  over the last five years.
• Unmanned aerial transportation is one of the most cited patents
  US patent 10720068 ‘Transportation relating to unmanned aerial vehicles’ is one of the most cited patents, highlighting the increasing role of UAVs in next generation solutions and networks.
   

Download our report now to find out more.

This study was originally prepared for the Netval Annual Conference, which took place September 18-20, 2023, with the theme: ‘Innovation in space: space for innovation! Technology transfer and IP in the space economy.'