The aerospace and defense industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by environmental sustainability, electrification, and operational efficiency, and the growing importance of technologies such as hydrogen and electric aircraft and advanced materials. 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 Hydrogen in defense: hybrid hydrogen-electric powertrain. 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.
Hybrid hydrogen-electric powertrain is a key innovation area in hydrogen
A hybrid hydrogen-electric powertrain is a propulsion system that combines the benefits of both hydrogen fuel cells and electric batteries to power a vehicle. Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen while emitting only water vapor as exhaust, and electric batteries store electrical energy for later use. This combination allows for a more efficient and environmentally friendly means of transportation.
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 130 companies, spanning technology vendors, established aerospace and defense companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of hybrid hydrogen-electric powertrain.
Key players in hybrid hydrogen-electric powertrain – 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 hybrid hydrogen-electric powertrain
| Company | Total patents (2021 - 2023) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Liebherr-International | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Rolls-Royce | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Diehl Stiftung | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Thales | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Melrose Industries | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Toyota Motor | 37 | Unlock Company Profile |
| IHI | 53 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NACCO Materials Handling Group | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Lynntech | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Siemens | 37 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hyundai Motor | 25 | Unlock Company Profile |
| CEA | 264 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Naval Group | 26 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Snecma | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| General Electric | 48 | Unlock Company Profile |
| U.S. Department of Defence | 26 | Unlock Company Profile |
| ThyssenKrupp | 37 | Unlock Company Profile |
| BAE Systems | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Porsche Automobil | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Raytheon Technologies | 136 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Ballard Power Systems | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Doosan | 35 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Aviva | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Textron | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Safran | 119 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Boeing | 111 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Korea Development Bank | 41 | Unlock Company Profile |
| LG | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Airbus | 334 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Commissariat a l'Energie et aux Energies Alternatives | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Honeywell International | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kia | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zodiac Seats France | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| SZ DJI Technology | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| EADS Deutschland | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Meditor European Master Fund | 30 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Solar Ship | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| ArianeGroup | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Aurora Innovation | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Linde | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| HD Hyundai | 46 | Unlock Company Profile |
| X Development | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| ZeroAvia | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Centre National Research Scientific | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Spawnt | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Universal Hydrogen | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| PowiDian | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission | 335 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Airbus is one of the leading patent filers in electric-hydrogen powertrain. The company is at the forefront of innovation in alternative propulsion systems and hybrid powered aircraft. It unveiled a fuel cell-powered aircraft engine called ZEROe in November 2022. Expected to enter commercial service by 2035, the low-carbon engine will use hydrogen as a power source for aircraft propulsion. The engine design incorporates a hydrogen gas turbine, which can be paired with fuel cells instead of batteries in a hybrid-electric architecture, with fuel cells converting hydrogen into electricity to propel the engine.
Some other key patent filers in the hybrid electric aircraft space include The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, CEA, and RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies).
In terms of application diversity The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, CEA, and Airbus are some of the leading innovators. By means of geographic reach, the leading patent filers include Thales, Universal Hydrogen, and DJI Technology.
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.
