WIPOTechnologyTrendsFutureofTransportationWIPOTechnologyTrendsFutureofTransportationAttribution4.0International

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WIPOTechnology

TrendsReport

2025:TheFutureofTransportation.Geneva:WorldIntellectualPropertyOrganization.

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KrisCole,

pariwat

pannium?WIPO,

2025WorldIntellectualProperty

Organization34

chemin

des

ColombettesP.O.Box

18CH-1211Geneva

20SwitzerlandISBN:978-92-805-3717-8(print)ISBN:

978-92-805-3716-1(online)ISSN:2957-8361

(print)ISSN:295-8353

(online)Tableof

contentsForeword4Aboutthe

contributors5Acknowledgments8Executive

summary9Acronyms134Bibliography136Appendix1391

IntroductionCrafting

the

future

of

transportation:

our

research

methodologyMarket

pull

and

technology

push:

the

driving

forces

of

innovation1313152

Overview

of

transportation

and

its

megatrends

17Transportation

and

its

modalities

17Megatrends

within

the

transportation

sector

19

Technologytrendsdrivingthe

transformationof

transportation25553

IP

and

technology

trends

shaping

the

futureof

transportation

32Global

patenting

activity 32Patent

growth

and

development

33Visualizing

technology

trajectories 37Top

inventor

locations 39Top

patent

owners

43Foreign-oriented

patenting

activity 47Patent

litigation

in

transportation 50

Beyondpatents–exploringtransportationtrademarks

51Beyond

patents

–

industrial

designs

within

the

transportation

sectorBeyond

patents

–

insights

into

market,

regulatory,

and

economic

landscapes574Exploringtransport

modalitiesLandtransportation

Seatransportation

Airtransportation

Space

transportation61617080915

Emerging

technologies

in

transportationLand:solid-state

batteries

Land:

platooningSea:smart

portsSea:

ammonia

as

a

marine

fuel

Air:sustainableaviationfuel

Air:urbanair

mobilitySpace:additivemanufacturinginspace

Space:blockchaininsatellite

communications98981011021041061081111146

Glimpse

into

the

future

of

transportationSynthesisofthereport

Envisioningthefuture

The

road

ahead

to

2030Beyond

2030:

yesterday’s

dreams,

today’s

realities116116119126128Transportation

has

long

been

a

major

driver

of

human

progress.Fromtheinventionofthewheeltotheeraofsteampower,fromthe

birth

of

aviation

to

dawn

of

the

space

age,

transportationtechnologieshaveshapedsocieties,expandedeconomiesandbrought

cultures

closer

together.

These

breakthroughs

–

fueled

by

ourinnate

curiosity

and

determination

to

explore

new

horizons

–

have

not

onlyrevolutionized

how

we

move

but

also

redefined

how

we

live,

trade,

connect

and

think.Today,

we

stand

on

the

brink

of

yet

another

seismic

shift.

Propelled

by

the

megatrendsof

sustainability

and

digitalization,

emerging

technologies

are

reshaping

the

future

oftransportation.

Electric

vehicles,

autonomous

systems,

smart

infrastructure

and

digital

logisticsare

no

longer

distant

dreams

–

they

are

becoming

part

of

our

daily

lives.

These

advanceshold

the

promise

of

making

transport

smarter,

greener

and

more

inclusive,

and

addressingchallenges

like

urban

congestion,

carbon

emissions

and

fair

access

to

transportation.ThisWIPOTechnologyTrendsreportdelvesintoinnovationsacrossland,sea,airandevenspace.Aremarkable1.1millionpatentsrelatedtothefutureoftransportationhavebeenpublished

since

2000,

a

growth

rate

far

outpacing

more

traditional

transportation

technologieslike

combustion

engines

and

catalytic

convertors

and

well

ahead

of

global

patentinggrowth

overall.Thismomentumremindsusofanessentialtruth:thattransportationhasalwaysbeenmorethanjustameansofgettingfromoneplacetoanother.Itisatestamenttohumaningenuityand

collaboration,

with

intellectual

property

playing

a

pivotal

role

in

safeguarding

and

fosteringgroundbreaking

ideas

on

a

global

scale.ByanalyzingthelatestIPdata,scientificliteratureandindustrydevelopments,thisreportservesasabridgebetweencutting-edgeresearchandpracticalapplication.Itsaimistoequippolicymakers,

businesses,

researchers

and

others

with

key

insights

to

guide

investments,

shapeinnovationstrategiesandinspirecollaboration–allwiththeobjectiveofadvancingprogresstowards

the

2030

Sustainable

Development

Goals.As

nations

worldwide

strive

to

achieve

net-zero

emissions

and

build

new

forms

of

connectivity,the

future

of

transportation

will

profoundly

impact

us

all.

At

this

pivotal

juncture,

we

hope

thisreportinspiresboldthinking,collaborativeaction,andasharedvisionoftransportthatisnotonly

efficient

and

innovative

but

also

sustainable

and

inclusive.Daren

TangDirector

GeneralWorldIntellectualProperty

OrganizationForewordThisreportincludescontributionsfromexpertsinthetransportationsector,futurists,intellectualproperty,policyandinnovation.Theirviewpointsandcommentscomplementand

add

context

to

the

information

revealed

in

patent

data,

addressing

issues

such

as

legaland

regulatory

questions,

standards,

data

protection,

infrastructure

challenges,

and

ethicalconcerns

regarding

the

future

of

transportation.The

views

expressed

by

the

contributors

are

solely

their

own

and

do

not

reflect

the

opinions

orpositionsoftheiraffiliated

organizations.Vassilis

Agouridas

is

an

Innovative

Aerial

Services

specialist

based

in

Brussels,Belgium,workingwithERTICO–ITSEUROPE,apublic-privatepartnershipdelivering

innovation

and

deployment

in

Intelligent

Transport

SystemsArina

Anisie

is

an

Analyst

on

Renewable

Energy

Innovation

at

the

InternationalRenewable

Energy

Agency

(IRENA)

in

Bonn,

GermanyNikolas

Badminton

is

a

world-renowned

global

futurist

speaker

based

inToronto,

Canada,

and

Chief

Futurist

at

ManuelaCirilliispartoftheKnowledgeTransferteamatCERN,anintergovernmental

organization

that

operates

the

largest

particle

physicslaboratory

in

the

world,

based

in

Geneva,

SwitzerlandDriss

El

Hadani

is

Deputy

Director

at

the

United

Nations

Office

for

Outer

SpaceAffairs,inVienna,

AustriaMartin

Ettlinger

is

a

Member

of

the

Management

Board

at

Verkehrshaus,

theSwiss

Museum

of

Transport,

based

in

Lucerne,

SwitzerlandAboutthe

contributorsWIPOTechnologyTrends:Futureof

Transportation6Robert

Garbett

is

Founder

and

Chief

Executive

of

Drone

Major

Group

Limited,theworld’sleadingglobalDroneandCounterDroneconsultancybasedinLondon,United

KingdomGrigore

Havarneanu

is

a

Transport

Psychologist

and

Senior

Research

Advisor

atthe

International

Union

of

Railways

(UIC)

in

Paris,

FranceYoann

Le

Petit

works

as

a

Thought

Leadership

Manager

for

EIT

Urban

Mobility(EITUM)inMunich,

GermanyDevin

Liddell

is

the

Principal

Futurist

at

Teague

in

Seattle,

United

States

ofAmerica,andworkswithclientslikeAmtrak,Boeing,andToyotatodesignpreferred

futuresMichael

Maas

is

the

CEO

of

Zimi,

electric

vehicle

infrastructure

specialists

basedinStellenbosch,South

AfricaMohamed

Mezghani

is

the

Secretary

General

of

the

International

Association

ofPublic

Transport

(UITP),

based

in

Brussels,

BelgiumSeyedehFatemehMoghimiisthefounderandCEOofSadidBarInternationalShipping

and

Transportation

Ltd.,

one

of

the

largest

freight

shipping

companiesin

the

Islamic

Republic

of

IranThor

Myklebust

is

a

Research

and

Certification

Manager

at

SINTEF,

one

ofEurope's

largest

research

organizations

based

in

NorwayEujinPeiisaFullProfessorinAdditiveManufacturingandAssociateDeanforthe

College

of

Engineering,

Design

and

Physical

Sciences

at

Brunel

University

ofLondon,United

KingdomCarlos

Ruiz

is

a

Program

Officer

for

Innovation

and

End-use

Sectors

at

theInternational

Renewable

Energy

Agency

(IRENA)

in

Bonn,

GermanyAboutthe

contributors7Juan

Carlos

Salazar

is

the

Secretary

General

of

the

International

Civil

AviationOrganization

(ICAO),

based

in

Montreal,

CanadaJason

Schenker

is

Chairman

of

The

Futurist

Institute

and

the

President

ofPrestige

Economics,

based

in

Texas,

United

States

of

AmericaTomStandageisDeputyEditorofTheEconomistandeditorofitsfuture-gazingannual,

The

World

Ahead.

Based

in

London,

United

Kingdom,

he

is

also

author

of“A

Brief

History

of

Motion”,

published

in

2021Thomas

Ting

is

the

Chief

Digital

Officer

at

the

Maritime

and

Port

Authority

ofSingapore(MPA),

SingaporeAgnieszka

Wiszowaty

is

a

co-founder

of

Maviator

Group,

a

Polish

startup

andeVTOLproducer,basedinKraków,

PolandThisthirdeditionofWIPOTechnologyTrendswasmadepossiblewiththeleadershipandsupportofDarenTang,DirectorGeneral,whosevisionoftheimportanceofIPanalyticsasan

evidence-based

tool

for

informed

decision-making

and

policy

formulation

underpins

theseries.

This

publication

is

the

result

of

the

invaluable

collective

efforts

of

a

team

of

externalcontributorsandWIPO

colleagues.ItwaspreparedunderthestewardshipofMarcoAlemán(AssistantDirectorGeneral,IPandInnovationEcosystemsSector)andunderthedirectionofAlejandroRocaCampa?a(SeniorDirector,IPforInnovatorsDepartment)andAndrewCzajkowski(Director,TechnologyandInnovation

Support

Division),

and

was

led

by

Christopher

Harrison

(Patent

Analytics

Manager,IP

Analytics

Section,

Technology

and

Innovation

Support

Division).TheprojectteamledbyChristopherHarrisonincludedLakshmiSupriya(PatentAnalyticsOfficer),

Hong

Kan

(Patent

Analytics

Officer),

Ekrem

?akay

(Patent

Analyst)

and

Pooyan

Piredeir(YoungExpert),allfromWIPO’sIPAnalyticsSection,TechnologyandInnovationSupportDivision.FormerWIPOcolleaguesIreneKitsara,AleksandrBelianovandCraigDsouza,werealsoinvolvedintheearlystagesoftheproject.Oursincerethanksgotoourprojectpartnersfrom

EconSight,

namely,

Kai

Gramke,

Jochen

Spuck,

Klaus

Jank

and

Michael

Freunek,

as

wellas

Frank

Passing

(IU

International

University

of

Applied

Science,

intuitive.AI),

Robert

Reading(Clarivate)

and

Michael

E.

Adel

(Intellectual

Landscapes).TheWIPOTechnologyTrendsseriesisonlymadepossiblethroughtheinvaluablesupportofexpertcontributors,whoseinsightsandknowledgehavesignificantlyenrichedthisreport.Suchcontributionsnotonlygroundtheanalysisinreal-worldperspectives,butalsoextenditsscopebeyondjustIPdata,illuminatingthebroaderchallengesandopportunitiesshaping,inthisedition,thefutureoftransportation.AspecialthanksthereforegoestoVassilisAgouridas,ArinaAnisie,NikolasBadminton,ManuelaCirilli,DrissElHadani,MartinEttlinger,RobertGarbett,

Grigore

Havarneanu,

Yoann

Le

Petit,

Devin

Liddell,

Michael

Maas,

Mohamed

Mezghani,Seyedeh

Fatemeh

Moghimi,

Thor

Myklebust,

Eujin

Pei,

Carlos

Ruiz,

Juan

Carlos

Salazar,Jason

Schenker,

Tom

Standage,

Thomas

Ting

and

Agnieszka

Wiszowaty,

as

well

as

to

JaidevDhavle

(IRENA)

and

Magnus

Hakv?g

(House

of

Knowledge)

for

additional

support

with

theexpert

contributors.ThereportbenefitedgreatlyfrominputsandreviewsmadebyanumberofWIPOcolleagues,includingCharlotteBeauchamp,AlineBrutsch,SpencerCabildo,ElisaCabrera,AlessiaChiatti,MartinAlejandroCorrea,Maria-AntonietaDeIcaza,RyszardFrelek,Marie-ClaudeGendron,DalilaHamou,EdwardHarris,EdwinHassink,VanessaHarwood,HananiHlomani,MosahidKhan,

Lise

McLeod,

Noah

Miller,

Peter

Oksen,

Julio

Raffo,

Virginie

Roux,

Samar

Shamoon,

FabioWeissertandLucyWilliams.Thereportalsobenefitedfromthecontributionsandsupportofmany

other

colleagues

across

WIPO,

whose

efforts

are

gratefully

acknowledged.email:

ip.analytics@AcknowledgmentsThisthirdpublicationintheseriesWIPOTechnologyTrendsreportsontransportationanditsfuture.Inaworlddrivenbysustainabilityanddigitalization,understandingthethetransformative

changes

reshaping

the

transportation

sector

is

more

crucial

than

ever.

Thereport

explores

how

emerging

technologies

and

innovative

approaches

are

revolutionizing

theways

in

which

we

move

people

and

goods,

while

emphasizing

the

importance

of

sustainability.Takingforitssubjectthefutureoftransportation,thereportshedslightontheexcitingpossibilitiesthatlieahead–fromelectricandautonomousvehiclestosmartinfrastructureanddigitallogistics–andidentifieswhicharethemostinnovativecountries,companiesandinstitutions

by

investigating

the

latest

transportation

patenting

trends.The2030AgendaforSustainable

DevelopmentAs

we

move

toward

2030,

our

goal

is

to

identify

and

analyze

the

technology

trends

shaping

thefutureoftransportation.Byfocusingonsustainabilityanddigitalization,thetransportationsectorcanmeetnotonlythedemandsofarapidlychangingworld,butalsocontributetothebroadergoalsofeconomicgrowth,socialinclusionandenvironmentalstewardshipsetoutinthe

United

Nations

2030

Agenda

for

Sustainable

Development.Thefocusofthereportisonprovidingtangibleinsightsforeveryone–betheyanindustryprofessional,apolicymaker,researcherorenthusiast–seekingadeeperunderstandingofthefutureoftransportation.Throughreal-worldexamplesandforward-lookinganalysis,weaim

to

inspire

action

and

collaboration

in

creating

a

more

sustainable,

efficient

and

connectedtransportation

system

for

the

global

community.Thetransportationsectorfacesthedualchallengeofachievingsustainabilitywhileatthesame

time

embracing

digitalization.

Addressing

this

challenge

requires

a

nuanced

approachthatbalancesenvironmentalconsiderationsagainsttheopportunitiespresentedbynewtechnologies.Thereportemphasizestheneedfortechnologicalsolutionsthatcannavigatethe

complexities

of

modern

transportation

systems,

delivering

benefits

that

extend

beyondefficiency

to

include

safety,

accessibility

and

user

experience.Thestructureofthe

reportThereportwasdevelopedusingadata-drivenapproach,combiningtraditionalpatentsearcheswithAI-poweredtopicextraction.Patents,scientificliterature,pressreleasesandCEOstatements

were

analyzed

to

gather

insights

into

the

latest

developments

and

trends

within

thetransportation

sector.

The

report

is

structured

around

four

principal

transportation

modalities

–Land,

Sea,

Air,

and

Space

–

and

two

overarching

megatrends

–

Sustainability

and

Digitalization.Executivesummary:Unveiling

tomorrow'sjourneysWIPOTechnologyTrends:Futureof

Transportation10Technologyclusterswithin

transportationThereportidentifiesfourprimarytechnologytrendclusterswithintransportation:namelySustainablePropulsion,AutomationandCircularity,CommunicationandSecurity,andHuman–Machine

Interface

(HMI).

Together,

these

four

clusters

represent

those

critical

areas

ofinnovationcrucialtothefutureoftransportation,ensuringthatdigitalsystemsremainrobustand

resilient,

while

also

addressing

environmental

challenges.SustainablePropulsionisattheforefrontofreducingtheenvironmentalfootprintoftransportation.

Electric

propulsion,

hydrogen

fuel

cells

and

other

alternative

energy

sourcesarekeytothiseffort,drivingashiftawayfromfossilfuels.Suchtechnologiesarecriticaltoachieving

lower

emissions

and

fostering

a

more

sustainable

future

within

transportation.Automation

and

Circularity

focuses

on

streamlining

production

and

promoting

sustainability.Technologieslikeindustrialrobots,smartfactoriesandadditivemanufacturingarerevolutionizingvehicleproduction,makingitmoreefficientandreducingwaste.Circularityemphasizesthesustainableuseofresources,withinnovationsinbiopolymersandrecyclingprocesses

minimizing

environmental

impact

and

aligning

with

broader

sustainability

goals.Communication

and

Security

technologies

are

essential

for

the

safe

and

efficient

operation

ofamoderntransportationsystem.Innovationssuchaslidarsensors,5Gnetworks,connectedvehicles

(V2X)

and

smart

city

infrastructure

enable

the

real-time

data

exchange

so

crucial

forthe

development

of

autonomous

driving,

smart

traffic

management

and

enhanced

safety.

Suchtechnologiesensurethattransportationsystemsarenotonlymoreconnected,butalsomoresecure

and

responsive

to

dynamic

conditions.HMItechnologiesaretransformingthewayusersinteractwithtransportationsystems.Advances

in

touch

displays,

speech

and

facial

recognition,

and

extended

reality

are

enhancingtheuserexperience,safetyandaccessibility.Suchinnovationsmaketransportationsystemsmoreintuitiveandsecure,improvinghowindividualsinteractwithvehiclesandothertransport

modalities.Each

of

these

four

technology

trends

represents

a

vital

area

of

innovation

crucial

to

the

futureoftransportation.Analysisofpatentdatarevealsarapidpaceofdevelopmentandadoption,providinginsightsintohowthetransportationsectorisevolvingtomeetthedemandsofasustainable

and

digitalized

world.

Among

the

key

findings

are

the

following:There

were

over

1.1

million

inventions

(patent

families)

published

between

2000

and

2023relating

to

the

future

of

transportation.With

a

compound

annual

growth

rate

of

11%

between

2000

and

2023,

technologiesrelatingtothefutureoftransportationfarexceedthe4%rateseenintraditionaltransportation

technologies.PatentinginSustainablePropulsiontechnologiesisdrivingtheSustainabilitymegatrend,

and

patents

in

Communication

and

Security

technologies

dominate

theDigitalization

megatrend.Land

transport

patents

dominate,

with

over

3.5

times

the

number

of

patents

for

the

Sea,

AirandSpacetransport

modalitiescombined.Thetopfiveinventorlocations,namelyChina,Japan,theUnitedStatesofAmerica,theRepublic

of

Korea

and

Germany,

account

for

over

90%

of

all

inventions,

with

recent

double-digit

growth

seen

in

China,

Sweden,

Italy

and

India.Pockets

of

specialism

will

naturally

exist

around

the

world

in

such

a

broad

industry,

includingGermany

in

Land

transport,

Norway

in

Sea

transport,

and

France

in

Air

and

Space

transport.Executivesummary:Unveilingtomorrow's

journeys11Futureof

Transportation1.1M+Inventions(Patentfamilies)published,

2000–202311%Thenumberofpatentsrelatedtothefutureoftransportationhasgrownatacompound

annualgrowthrate(CAGR)ofnearly

11%.Incomparison,patentsintraditionaltransportation

have

grown

at

a

rate

of

only

4%overthesame

period.2000

2005

2010

2015

2020Publication

year90070050030010011%CAGR,

2000–2023FutureofTransportation4%CAGR,

2000–2023TraditionalTransportationIndexed

developmentofpatent

familiesTwo

megatrends

and

four

technology

trendsSustainabilitySustainablePropulsionisdriving

theSustainability

megatrend.SustainablePropulsionCommunicationand

SecurityDigitalizationCommunicationand

SecurityisdrivingtheDigitalizationmegatrend.Automation

andCircularityHuman–MachineInterfaceModesof

transportationMost

patents

related

to

Land

transportation.Land

Sea

AirSpaceLeading

locationsNumberofpatentfamiliesinventedinthe

location98%ProportioninSustainabilitymegatrend26%ProportioninSustainabilitymegatrend78%ProportioninDigitalizationmegatrend15%Proportionin

Digitalizationmegatrend82%Proportioninfuture

oftransportation4%Proportioninfuture

oftransportation12%Proportioninfuture

oftransportation7%Proportioninfuture

oftransportationNo.

1China429,727No.

4Republicof

Korea130,122No.

2Japan240,310No.

5Germany82,429No.

3United

States159,322United

StatesLand

SeaFranceAir

SpaceNorwaySwedenFinlandGermany

IsraelRepublic

ofKoreaSpecialized

locationsNotablelocationswithahighRelativeSpecialization

IndexSource:

WIPO,

based

on

patent

data

from

EconSight/IFI

Claims,

October

2024.WIPOTechnologyTrends:Futureof

Transportation12The

future

of

transportation

and

intellectual

propertyIntellectualproperty(IP)playsacrucialroleinsupportinginnovationwithinthetransportationsector.IPrightsencourageinvestmentinresearchanddevelopment,fosteringthecreationofnew

technologies

and

solutions.

WIPO

plays

a

vital

role

in

this

process,

by

providing

support

forinnovatorsinmakingthemostoftheirinventions.Thr