Europe to close gap with Japan and Korea in automotive propulsion IP

According to patent attorneys Withers & Rogers, while much of this innovation activity is currently being undertaken by Japanese and Korean manufacturers, European activity in this area is expected to grow in the next few years.

The Thomson Reuters report - The State of Innovation in the Automotive Industry – shows that global patent filings made in relation to propulsion technologies, such as engine design and hybrid drive systems, increased from less than 2,000 in 2009 to nearly 12,000 by July 2014.

According to the report, the top innovator is Toyota  with over 7,000 patents assigned over the five year period.

Toyota is also one of five Japanese manufacturers – the others being Honda, Denso, Seiko Epson and Mitsubishi – to feature among the top ten firms in terms of the volume of patents assigned to them.

Korean manufacturer Hyundai was also noted as the firm that has increased its patent activity most significantly, from 500 patent filings in 2010 to 1,200 in 2013, which enough to put them in third position overall in terms of the number of patents assigned to them.