The power industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by high energy density, low emissions, and more efficient and cost-effective fuel cells, and growing importance of technologies such as compressed hydrogen gas tanks, cryogenic compressed hydrogen, and metal hydrides. In the last three years alone, there have been over 439,000 patents filed and granted in the power industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Environment Sustainability in Power: H2 gas storage fuel cells. 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.
90+ innovations will shape the power industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the power industry using innovation intensity models built on over 83,000 patents, there are 90+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, smart lighting system, PCM thermal energy storage, and solid electrolyte fuel cell membrane are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Ceramic oxide nuclear fuel, geothermal heat pumps, and hybrid PV plants are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are combined cycle gas turbines and ethylene co-polymer PV modules, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for environmental sustainability in the power industry
H2 gas storage fuel cells is a key innovation area in environmental sustainability
Hydrogen gas storage fuel cells are a type of fuel cell that uses hydrogen gas to store energy. Hydrogen gas fuel cells are typically used in transportation applications.
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 power companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of H2 gas storage fuel cells.
Key players in H2 gas storage fuel cells – a disruptive innovation in the power 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 H2 gas storage fuel cells
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Toyota Motor | 161 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Honda Motor | 66 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hyundai Motor Group | 53 | Unlock Company Profile |
| General Motors | 50 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kia | 37 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kobe Steel | 30 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Porsche Automobil Holding | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Encite | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| NACCO Materials Handling Group | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Robert Bosch Stiftung | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Bayerische Motoren Werke | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shinwa Controls | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| TATSUNO | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| REHAU | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Toray Industries | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Iwatani | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Japan Steel Works | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mercedes-Benz Group | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Meditor European Master Fund | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Toyota Motor is one of the leading patent filers in hydrogen gas storage fuel cells. It has developed a hydrogen storage module that integrates multiple resin high-pressure hydrogen tanks.
Honda Motors, Hyundai Motor Group, Kia, General Motors, Bayerische Motoren Werke, Kobe Steel, REHAU and Mercedes-Benz Group are amongst the other major patent filers.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the power industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Power.
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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.
