The technology industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by increasing development and use of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT) in various industrial applications, and growing importance of technologies such as flexible printing, etching, lamination, coverlay, and surface mount technology (SMT) for electronics manufacturing. In the last three years alone, there have been over 3.6 million patents filed and granted in the technology industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Technology Innovation: Flexible printed circuits. 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.
300+ 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 2.5 million patents, there are 300+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, microphone beamforming, live betting games and quantum dots are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Circuit design testing, smart contracts, and surround sound systems are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas, vehicle platooning, PCI power management, and wireless microphones are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for the technology industry
Flexible printed circuits is a key innovation area in technology
Flexible printed circuits (FPCs) are electronic circuits that are made of thin, lightweight, and flexible materials like polyimide or polyester. FPCs can be bent, folded, and twisted as required for different applications in consumer electronics, automotive, medical, and military industries.
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 70+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established technology companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of flexible printed circuits.
Key players in flexible printed circuits – a disruptive innovation in the technology 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 flexible printed circuits
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Among the companies innovating in FPCs, Samsung Group is the leading patent filer. One of the company’s patents, for example, is aimed at a describing of a printed circuit board that consists of a base substrate with pad group areas on both sides. Each pad group area includes rows of pads that are arranged in a specific sequence along multiple directions.
Other prominent patent filers in the FPC space include LG Display and Sumitomo Electric Industries.
By geographic reach, MTG leads the pack, followed by Komura Tech and Xiaomi. In terms of application diversity, AB Dynamics holds the top position, followed by 3M and Shenzhen Voxtech.
FPCs is ideal for use in compact and space-limited applications with high resistance to vibration and shock, making them ideal for use in harsh environments. FPCs also have lower weight and volume, reducing the overall weight and size of electronic devices, and they can be more cost-effective to produce than rigid PCBs. These factors make FPCs a popular choice in various industries, including consumer electronics, automotive, medical, and military applications.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the technology industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Technology.
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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.
