The technology industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by the need for stronger and more comprehensive cybersecurity measures to protect against cyber threats and attacks, and growing importance of technologies such as distributed ledger technology, decentralised identifiers, cryptographic techniques, and decentralised authentication protocols. These technologies work together to establish a decentralised and user-centric approach to identity management, empowering individuals with control over their identities, while ensuring security, privacy, interoperability, and trust in the digital ecosystem. 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 Innovation in Cybersecurity: Decentralised identity framework. 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, byzantine fault tolerant blockchain, secure multi-party computing, and decentralised identity framework are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Secure hash algorithms (SHA), zero knowledge proof, and private blockchains are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are, firmware security, multimedia signal encryption, and biometric authentication, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for cybersecurity in the technology industry
Decentralised identity framework is a key innovation area in cybersecurity
Decentralised identity framework is a system that enables users to securely store, control, and manage their digital identities using cryptographic techniques and blockchain technology. It provides a secure, private, and trustworthy environment for users to create, store, and manage their digital identities. By leveraging decentralised identity frameworks, users gain control over their personal data and protect it from unauthorised access. These frameworks eliminate the reliance on centralised third-party verification and enable user authentication without depending on a single central authority.
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 technology companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of decentralised identity framework.
Key players in decentralised identity framework – 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 decentralised identity framework
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2022) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| SoftBank Group | 38 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Micron Technology | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Vns Portfolio | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Qualcomm | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Fingerprint Cards | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Visa | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Huawei Investment & Holding | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Island Intellectual Property | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Microchip Technology | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Dell Technologies | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Actus Mobile Solutions | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Alphabet | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Citrix Systems | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Robert Bosch Stiftung | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mitsubishi Electric | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Toshiba | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
SoftBank Group is one of the leading patent filers in decentralised identity framework. The company’s patents are aimed at an authentication method that includes receiving a service request authentication information from a terminal device to access a service; transmitting the authentication information to a security platform, which is configured to verify whether the authentication information is originated from a legitimate terminal device and transmit a verification result based on the verification; and determining whether to allow the terminal device to access the service, in response to receiving the verification result from the security platform.
Other prominent patent filers in the space include Micron Technology and Vns Portfolio.
By geographic reach, Actus Mobile Solutions leads the pack, followed by Alphabet and Huawei. In terms of application diversity, Microchip Technology holds the top position, followed by Vns Portfolio and Island Intellectual Property.
Decentralised identity frameworks offer a user-centric, secure, and privacy-enhancing approach to digital identity management. They provide individuals with control over their personal data, promote trust and transparency, and enable seamless interoperability across different services and organisations.
To further understand how cybersecurity is disrupting the technology industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Cybersecurity – Thematic Research.
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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.
