Sustainable Propulsion/Efficient Ship Design
Within this technology trend, the most important area in terms of patent family publications is efficient ship design. This includes research activities that focus on optimizing hull shape to minimize drag, designing efficient propellers or introducing air bubbles under the hull. The number of patent family publications has increased from only 211 in 2000 to 1,074 in 2023 (Figure B22).
Another important research area is sustainable carbon-based fuels, where patent family numbers have grown from 54 to 593 between 2000 and 2023. The vast majority of patents in this area relate to LNG fuels for ships. However, patenting activity in sustainable carbon-based fuels has declined in 2023, after peaking at 834 patent family publications in 2022.
In terms of growth rates of patent publications, electric propulsion, hydrogen/fuel cells and batteries have shown the most dynamic development over various different time periods since 2000 (Figures B23–B25). Patent growth in sustainable carbon-based fuels was high between 2000 and 2019 (13.6% p.a. on average), but the dynamic has slowed down significantly in recent years (Figure B23). In contrast, patent growth in the important area of efficient ship design has accelerated noticeably in recent years, despite the large volume of patents that already exist in the field. This shows that new developments within efficient ship design remain a key research area for creating greener ships.
Figure B26 shows that inventors from China and the Republic of Korea are responsible for the majority of patent family publications. While patent family publications from China have increased dynamically in recent years, patenting activity from the Republic of Korea has stagnated. However, unlike China, the Republic of Korea has a high RSI value, indicating a clearly above average degree of specialization. Only Norway has a higher RSI than the Republic of Korea over the period from 2000 to 2023.
Looking more closely at RSI values over the different time periods, the outstanding degree of specialization in Norway is again highlighted. Other highly specialized countries are France, Denmark and the Republic of Korea (Figure B27). In contrast, Japan, Brazil, China and the United States have a negative RSI value, which is an indication of below average research specialization in Sustainable Propulsion technologies within the marine sector.
Analysis of the top research countries in the different subgroups of Sustainable Propulsion/Efficient Ship Design provides the following key results (Figure B28):
China is the technology leader in efficient ship design, batteries and electric propulsion.
The Republic of Korea has published most patent families in hydrogen/fuel cell research and sustainable fuels.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Gaztransport et Technigaz, Harbin Engineering University, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology and Wuhan University of Technology are the top five research companies/institutions in Sustainable Propulsion/Efficient Ship Design in terms of patent family publications (Figure B29). They all have a very high RSI score.
However, four of the top 10 patent owners have seen a decline in patent family publications since 2018. They include the Japanese companies Mitsui E&S Co, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Motors and the Korean company Hanwha Ocean. Patenting activity from Harbin Engineering University and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has stagnated in recent years. In contrast, the other Chinese research universities in this field and the French company Gaztransport et Technigaz have continued to increase their patenting activity.
The top patent owners in the five subgroups are as follows (Figure B30):
Harbin Engineering University is the top patent holder in both batteries and efficient ship design.
China Huaneng Group has published the most patent families for electric ship propulsion.
The two German industrial conglomerates Siemens and ThyssenKrupp are research leaders in the use of hydrogen/fuel cells for ships.
Gaztransport et Technigaz is at the forefront of research into sustainable fuels.
Automation and Circularity
Automation and Circularity technologies in the sea transport field include the areas of smart production, efficient material use and recycling.
Smart production (including robotics) is the key research field within Automation and Circularity technologies, with more than 400 patent publications in 2023 (Figure B31). Patenting activity in efficient material use technologies and recycling is still quite limited by comparison.
Patent growth in efficient material use has been exceptionally high in all analyzed time periods (Figures B32–B34). This is mainly due to the strong research momentum in additive manufacturing. Patent growth in smart production/robotics in shipping has also been very dynamic; however, growth has slowed down in recent years (Figure B32). In contrast, patent activity in recycling remains at a low level and patent growth has also been disappointing within the last several years. This is a source of concern as recycling is an important element of the shift toward a circular economy and new recycling technologies are necessary to achieve cleaner and safer dismantling practices of old ships.
Figure B35 shows that inventors from China and the Republic of Korea are publishing the most patent families. Moreover, patent growth was also high in China in recent years. Among the major research countries, Canada has achieved high growth rates since 2018, while patenting activity in France and Japan has declined.
China’s RSI value is slightly above 0, showing neither an above-average nor below-average specialization in research activities in Automation and Circularity technologies. In contrast, the Republic of Korea has a very high and Japan a very low RSI value.
Looking more closely at RSI values over the different time periods shows that both Norway and the Republic of Korea have a very high degree of research specialization in Automation and Circularity technologies within the shipping sector (Figure B36).
Analysis of the top research countries in the different subgroups of the Automation and Circularity technology trend provides the following key results (Figure B37):
China is far ahead in terms of the absolute number of patent family publications in smart production and also ranks first in efficient material use and recycling.
The Republic of Korea ranks second in smart production and recycling. It is only slightly behind China in recycling.
The United States is an innovation leader in efficient material use (ranked second behind China).
Harbin Engineering University is the leading research institution in Automation and Circularity technologies within the maritime sector, with 118 patent families published to date, almost twice as many as the second ranked Chinese Academy of Sciences (Figure B38). In general, Chinese research institutions dominate the Automation and Circularity landscape, accounting for nine of the top 10 applicants. The one non-Chinese company in the top 10 is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan in ninth place.
The top patent owners in the three subgroups are as follows (Figure B39):
Harbin Engineering University is a technology leader in all three Automation and Circularity subgroups.
In the technology efficient material use, the U.S. Department of the Navy has published nine patent families since 2000, as many as the Harbin Engineering University.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences is another important research institution in Automation and Circularity technologies in the shipping sector, with a particular focus on intelligent production technologies.
Communication and Security
In Communication and Security technologies within the shipping sector most research activity takes place in navigation technologies such as lidar, radar, sonar or GPS. In this field, the average number of patent family publications per year has increased from 88 in 2000 to 1,574 in 2023 (Figure B40).
A second important research area is device-to-device communication, with around 230 patent family publications in 2023.
Patenting activity in low-latency communication, cloud and cybersecurity has also risen, but remains at a lower level.
Patent growth has been high in all Communication and Security areas (Figures B41–B43). Since 2020, patent publications for cybersecurity in shipping have grown particularly strongly (Figure B41).
Figure B44 shows that inventors from China to be publishing the most patent families. Moreover, patent growth has also high in China over recent years. Only Denmark and Israel have achieved even higher growth rates since 2018. However, China’s RSI value is only around 0, showing neither an above average nor a below average specialization in research activities in Communication and Security technologies. Again, Norway has by far the highest RSI value.
Looking more closely at RSI values over the different time periods shows that both Norway and New Zealand have a very high degree of research specialization in Communication and Security technologies within the shipping sector (Figure B45). Other highly specialized countries are Finland and Denmark.
Analysis of the top research countries in the different subgroups of the Communication and Security technology trend provides the following key results (Figure B46):
China is ahead in terms of the absolute number of patent family publications in all five Communication and Security subgroups. The country’s lead is particularly high in device-to-device communication, navigation technologies and cloud technologies.
The Republic of Korea is in second place in both device-to-device communication and navigation technologies.
The United States has the second highest number of patent family publications in cloud technologies, cybersecurity and low-latency communication.
Harbin Engineering University, with 324 patent families published between 2000 and 2023, Furuno Electric, with 229 patent families, Wuhan University of Technology, with 208 patent families, and Dalian Maritime University, with 207 patent families, are the top patent holders in Communication and Security technologies within the maritime sector (Figure B47). Wuhan University of Technology, Furuno Electric and Dalian Maritime University have also achieved very dynamic patent growth rates in recent years. In terms of RSI values, nine of the top 10 applicants have a very high value, indicating a high degree of research specialization in Communication and Security Technologies, the sole exception being the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The top patent owners in the five subgroups are as follows (Figure B48):
Harbin Engineering University is the top patent holder in navigation technologies within the shipping sector.
Shanghai Maritime University has published most patent families in device-to-device communication.
Wuhan University of Technology is an innovation leader in cloud technologies.
Boeing is clearly ahead in research activities in low-latency communication.
There are several companies and universities with a handful of patent families in cybersecurity, namely, Yamaha Motor, BAE Systems, Boeing, Wuhan University of Technology and Dalian Maritime University.
Human–Machine Interface
HMI technologies are at an early stage of development and adoption within the shipping sector. This is reflected in the limited research activity to date. As a result, the number of patent family publications is relatively low for all five HMI technologies. Patenting activity was the highest for VR/AR/metaverse technologies, with 48 patent family publications in 2023 (Figure B49).
After strong patent growth in all HMI technologies between 2000 and 2019, patent growth has been uneven in recent years (Figure B50). While the number of patent families published in speech recognition continues to grow, the number of patent families published annually in head-up displays has stagnated. And the number of patent families published in touch displays/data gloves, as well as in facial recognition and VR/AR/metaverse, has actually declined.
Figure B53 shows that inventors from China and the United States have published the most patent families in HMI technologies within the marine sector. Furthermore, China has also achieved high patent growth since 2018. However, China's RSI value is below 0, indicating a below average specialization in research activities in HMI technologies. In contrast, the Republic of Korea, the United States and the United Kingdom have a high RSI value.
Looking more closely at RSI values over the different time periods shows that Israel has increased its RSI value in HMI technologies significantly over the last two decades (Figure B54). Finland is another country with a very high RSI value.
Analysis of the top research countries in the different subgroups of the HMI technology trend provides the following key results (Figure B55):
China and the United States lead in terms of patent family publications both in facial and speech recognition applications.
China is also ahead in VR/AR/metaverse patent families, but both the United States and the Republic of Korea are not far behind.
The United States is the technology leader in the development of head-up displays.
The United States also leads in touch displays/data gloves, but Japan, the Republic of Korea and China also have significant research activities in this field.
Furuno Electric is the leading research institution in HMI applications technologies within the maritime sector, with 58 patent families published to date, far ahead of Brunswick Corp, Teledyne Technologies and Yamaha Motor, with 22 patent family publications each (Figure B56).
The top applicants in the five subgroups are as follows (Figure B57):
Windward has published most patent families in the field of facial recognition in maritime applications.
Teledyne Technologies and Furuno Electric are the leaders in VR/AR/metaverse.
Furuno Electric has also published many patent families in touch displays/data gloves and head-up displays.
In the field of speech recognition, there are several companies that have published a few patent families, including Motorola, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Dalian Maritime University and Shanghai Maritime University.
