The technology industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by digital transformation, increased adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and the need for stronger and more comprehensive cybersecurity measures to protect against cyber threats and attacks, as well as growing importance of technologies such as symmetric-key encryption, key expansion, key whitening, and block cipher. In the last three years alone, there have been over 1.5 million patents filed and granted in the technology industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Cybersecurity in technology: AES encryption. 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 stabilizing 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.
185+ innovations will shape the technology industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the technology industry using innovation intensity models built on over 1.6 million patents, there are 185+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, homomorphic encryption and signcryption, are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Zero knowledge proof, multi-factor authentication and secure hash algorithms (SHA) are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are DRM tools and AES encryption, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for cybersecurity in the technology industry
AES encryption is a key innovation area in cybersecurity
Advanced encryption standard (AES) is an encryption algorithm that uses symmetric-key cryptography to safeguard confidential information. It is categorised as a block cipher, which means that it processes data in fixed-size blocks. The most prevalent key size used in AES is 128 bits. Compared to its predecessor, the data encryption standard (DES), AES provides a stronger and more secure method of encryption.
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 150+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established technology companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of AES encryption.
Key players in AES encryption – a disruptive innovation in the technology 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 AES encryption
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Qualcomm | 48 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Microsoft | 79 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Netflix | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Apple | 34 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Comcast | 35 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Dell Technologies | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Koninklijke Philips | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Nokia | 32 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Panasonic | 87 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Lattice Semiconductor | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson | 60 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sony Group | 211 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Digimarc | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| IBM | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Catch Media | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Broadcom | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Intel | 99 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Orange | 25 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Digital Media Technology | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Among the companies innovating in AES encryption, Sony Group is the leading patent filer. The company’s patents are aimed at information processing apparatus and method to make it easier to reproduce encrypted data from various patterns of content data that were encrypted with individual keys.
Other prominent patent filers in the AES encryption space include Samsung Group and Intel.
By geographic reach Pendrell leads the pack, followed by Dell Technologies and Digital Media Technology. In terms of application diversity, Sony Group holds the top position, followed by Samsung Group and Panasonic.
While modern technologies such as AI, cloud and IoT have enabled enterprises to undergo digital transformation, they have also introduced several risks such as security breaches and unauthorized access to data. As a result, the focus on cybersecurity has been growing.
The use of AES encryption technologies provides strong encryption for data in transit or at rest, protecting against unauthorized access and cyber-attacks.
To further understand how cybersecurity is disrupting the technology industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Cybersecurity.
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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.
