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

Fuel injection control systems is a key innovation area in aerospace and defence

Fuel injection is controlled by an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) that is responsible for calculating the amount of fuel needed.

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 10+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established aerospace and defence companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of fuel injection control systems.

Key players in fuel injection control systems – 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 fuel injection control systems

Company	Total patents (2010 - 2021)	Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
General Electric	365	Unlock company profile
Safran	127	Unlock company profile
Siemens	99	Unlock company profile
Raytheon Technologies	84	Unlock company profile
Exxon Mobil	60	Unlock company profile
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	59	Unlock company profile
Rolls-Royce Holdings	52	Unlock company profile
CDP Equity	32	Unlock company profile
Honeywell International	21	Unlock company profile
Alstom	18	Unlock company profile
Gas Turbine Efficiency Sweden	14	Unlock company profile
IHI	10	Unlock company profile
Lockheed Martin	8	Unlock company profile
Hitachi	6	Unlock company profile
Technology Licensing Georgia Technological Research	6	Unlock company profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

General Electric is the leading company in this sector, and is filing patents to create engine solutions that can provide greater fuel efficiency as well as better operational control and response time at an overall lighter weight. These innovations can provide significant savings for customers and have applications across the civil and military sphere. Other key innovators in this sector include Safran and Raytheon, which are both filing patents to establish efficiency solutions in the sector. Other key players include Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Rolls-Royce and Honeywell.

By application diversity, Raytheon is top, followed by Hitachi. By geographic reach, the top company is Georgia Technological Research, followed by General Electric.

The technology can have significant impacts on overall engine efficiency, and the pursuit of modernisation in this sector is significant for a number of companies, hence the ongoing patent filings.

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.