Internet of things innovation among military industry companies has dropped off in the last year – Army Technology
Research and innovation in internet of things in the military equipment and technologies sector has declined in the last year.
The most recent figures show that the number of IoT related patent applications in the industry stood at 116 in the three months ending February – down from 169 over the same period in 2021.
Figures for patent grants related to IoT followed a similar pattern to filings – shrinking from 135 in the three months ending February 2021 to 82 in the same period in 2022.
The figures are compiled by GlobalData, who track patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Using textual analysis, as well as official patent classifications, these patents are grouped into key thematic areas, and linked to key companies across various industries.
IoT is one of the key areas tracked by GlobalData. It has been identified as being a key disruptive force facing companies in the coming years, and is one of the areas that companies investing resources in now are expected to reap rewards from.
The figures also provide an insight into the largest innovators in the sector.
The Boeing Co was the top IoT innovator in the military equipment and technologies sector in the latest quarter. The company, which has its headquarters in the United States, filed 90 IoT related patents in the three months ending February. That was down from 186 over the same period in 2021.
It was followed by the United States based Raytheon Technologies Corp with 39 IoT patent applications, the United States based Textron Inc (36 applications), and France based Thales SA (36 applications).
BAE Systems Plc has recently ramped up R&D in IoT. It saw growth of 70% in related patent applications in the three months ending February compared to the same period in 2021 – the highest percentage growth out of all companies tracked with more than 10 quarterly patents in the military equipment and technologies sector.