The aerospace and defence industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity 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 174,000 patents filed and granted in the aerospace and defence industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in Aerospace, Defence & Security: Centrifugal fan impeller. 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 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. 

180+ innovations will shape the aerospace and defence industry 

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the aerospace and defence industry using innovation intensity models built on over 262,000 patents, there are 180+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry. 

Within the emerging innovation stage, bonded fibre laminates, thermoplastic elastomer laminates, and vibration supression devices are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Centrifugal fan impellers, ceramic composite laminates, and gas turbine engine testing are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are protective blade coatings and blade alloy welding, which are now well established in the industry.  

Innovation S-curve for the aerospace and defence industry 

Centrifugal fan impeller is a key innovation area in aerospace and defence 

A fan impeller refers to a number of blades marked at an angle, innovations in this sector can provide innovative capabilities and more economical flights.  

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 30+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established aerospace and defence companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of centrifugal fan impeller. 

Key players in centrifugal fan impeller – a disruptive innovation in the aerospace and defence 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 centrifugal fan impeller

Company Total patents (2010 - 2022) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
Mitsubishi Electric 111 Unlock Company Profile
Safran 70 Unlock Company Profile
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 56 Unlock Company Profile
ebm-papst Mulfingen 45 Unlock Company Profile
LG 43 Unlock Company Profile
Samsung Group 38 Unlock Company Profile
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare 27 Unlock Company Profile
Daikin Industries 25 Unlock Company Profile
Nidec 25 Unlock Company Profile
Sharp 25 Unlock Company Profile
Denso 21 Unlock Company Profile
ResMed 19 Unlock Company Profile
Regal Rexnord 17 Unlock Company Profile
Acer 16 Unlock Company Profile
Ziehl-Abegg 14 Unlock Company Profile
Becton Dickinson and 14 Unlock Company Profile
General Electric 12 Unlock Company Profile
Panasonic 12 Unlock Company Profile
CSR 12 Unlock Company Profile
Porsche Automobil Holding 11 Unlock Company Profile
Hitachi 10 Unlock Company Profile
Vyaire Medical 9 Unlock Company Profile
Sunonwealth Electric Machine Industry 8 Unlock Company Profile
Siemens 8 Unlock Company Profile
Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor 8 Unlock Company Profile
ASUSTeK Computer 7 Unlock Company Profile
Fanuc 7 Unlock Company Profile
Toshiba 6 Unlock Company Profile
ABB 6 Unlock Company Profile
Keihin 6 Unlock Company Profile
Loewenstein Medical Technology 5 Unlock Company Profile
Delta Electronics 5 Unlock Company Profile
Cambricon Technologies 5 Unlock Company Profile
Griffon 5 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

Mitsubishi Electric is the leading patent filer in this sector, the company is filing patents to find innovations in propulsion and provide economical solutions to advance existing and future aircraft. Other leading companies in this sector include Safran, as well as numerous technology groups including Samsung. Innovation here can provide increased aerospace profits, and potentially provide solutions for emerging technology including electric aircraft.

In terms of application diversity, CSR is top, followed by General Electric and ABB. By geographic reach, Safran is top, followed by General Electric and Porsche.

This is a diverse sector with many non-aerospace companies filing patents, but the technology is dual use and innovations across various industries may have an impact in aerospace and defence.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the aerospace and defence industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Defence

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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.