The aerospace and defense industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by the uptake of advanced technology, and growing importance of technologies such as hypersonics and advanced materials. In the last three years alone, there have been over 237,000 patents filed and granted in the aerospace and defense industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Batteries in defense: aircraft battery packs. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 206,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the aerospace and defense industry, there are 110 innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Aircraft battery packs is a key innovation area in batteries
The main electrical system of an aircraft utilizes batteries, which are used pre-flight to power up the electrical system and to launch the auxiliary power unit and, in some cases, the engines. The APU, once started, drives generators, which power the electrical circuits in the aircraft and charge the batteries.
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 aerospace and defense companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of aircraft battery packs.
Key players in aircraft battery packs – a disruptive innovation in the aerospace and defense 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 aircraft battery packs
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Boeing is the leading patent filer in aircraft battery packs, followed by Airbus and SZ DJI.
Airbus announced a partnership agreement with Renault in November 2022 to advance research in energy storage and management. SZ DJI is focused on battery packs for small UAVs, creating innovative new technology which has modular capabilities and can be swapped out to avoid losing time on recharging. Other key patent filers include Naval, Rolls-Royce, and Raytheon Technologies.
In terms of application diversity, LG is in top position, followed by United Parcel Service, Oshkosh and Ford Motor. By geographic distribution, Cayago is first, followed by Wisk Aero and Alpine 4.
There has been significant innovation in batteries in recent years, in part to fuel the development of electric aircraft and vehicles and major companies are investing in developing battery technology for implementation with existing systems.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the aerospace and defense industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Aerospace & Defense.
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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.
