The aerospace and defense industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by automation, environmental sustainability, and operational efficiency, and the growing importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), unmanned systems and satellites. In the last three years alone, there have been over 84,000 patents filed and granted in the aerospace and defense industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Drones in defense: drone cargo retrieval. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 260,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the aerospace and defense industry, there are 110 innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Drone cargo retrieval is a key innovation area in drones
Drone cargo retrieval refers to the process of using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to retrieve and transport cargo. These drones are equipped with specialized systems and mechanisms to securely hold and transport payloads. The use of drone cargo retrieval enhances the military’s operational agility, allowing for rapid deployment of resources in response to emergencies, conflicts, or disaster relief efforts. They are capable of both vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) as well as fixed-wing flight operations, allowing them to efficiently navigate different environments and deliver cargo to various locations.
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 35+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established aerospace and defense companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of drone cargo retrieval.
Key players in drone cargo retrieval – 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 drone cargo retrieval
| Company | Total patents (2021 - 2023) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Qualcomm | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Lockheed Martin | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| United Parcel Service | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Pasha | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Inbody | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hitachi | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Acuity Brands | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| ThyssenKrupp | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| BAE Systems | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Raytheon Technologies | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sony Group | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Amazon.com | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kerry Properties | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Boeing | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| SZ DJI Technology | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sunlight Photonics | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| ETAK Systems | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| OPTiM | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Wuhu Qianchuang Intelligent Technology | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Lockheed Martin is one of the leading patent filers in drone cargo retrieval. It filed patents related to all-purpose foreign object debris detection and retrieval devices, outdoor entity and weapon tracking and orientation, and automatic emergency landing gear extension system. Some other key patent filers in this space include Qualcomm, BAE Systems and ThyssenKrupp.
In terms of application diversity, DJI Technology leads the pack, while ThyssenKrupp and Subaru stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach of different patent assignees, BAE Systems held the top position, followed by Qualcomm and Lockheed Martin.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the aerospace and defense industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Drones in Aerospace and 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.
