Research and innovation in industrial automation in the technology and communications sector is on the rise.
The most recent figures show that the number of industrial automation patent applications in the industry stood at 2,476 in the three months ending October – up from 2,251 over the same period last year.
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Figures for patent grants related to industrial automation followed a similar pattern to filings – growing from 2,277 in the three months ending October last year to 2,689 this year.
The figures are compiled by GlobalData, who track patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Using textual analysis, as well as official patent classifications, these patents are grouped into key thematic areas, and linked to key companies across various industries.
Industrial automation is one of the key areas tracked by GlobalData. It has been identified as being a key disruptive force facing companies in the coming years, and is one of the areas that companies investing resources in now are expected to reap rewards from.
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By GlobalDataThe figures also provide an insight into the largest innovators in the sector.
Huawei Investment & Holding Co Ltd was the top industrial automation innovator in the technology and communications sector in the last quarter. The company, which has its headquarters in China, filed 165 industrial automation related patents in the three months ending October. This was up from 72 over the same period last year.
It was followed by the United States-based Qualcomm Inc with 161 industrial automation patent applications, South Korea-based LG Corp (154 applications), and Japan-based Toshiba Corp (95 applications).
Canon Inc has recently ramped up R&D in industrial automation. It saw growth of 96.7% in related patent applications in the three months ending October compared to the same period last year - the highest percentage growth out of all companies tracked with more than 10 quarterly patents in the technology and communications sector.
