Aerospace industry’s innovation in sustainability hits turbulence
Investment in sustainable aerospace technologies has fallen out of the sky in the last year, according to a new study. Looking into patent data in the industry, the Appleyard Lees research found innovation to boost the environmental performance of the sector was at its lowest in almost a decade.
Aerospace organisations research, design, manufacture, operate, maintain, and repair both aircraft and spacecraft. This makes aerospace proportionally one of the largest sources of emissions in the global economy. While the vast majority of the world’s population never fly, for example, the global aviation industry still accounts for roughly 3% of global carbon emissions, and research suggests it will produce more than 25% by 2050 if left unchecked.
This makes the findings of a new report by Appleyard Lees especially troublesome for critics of aerospace’s already-slow reduction of carbon emissions. According to the study by the intellectual property firm, annual patent applications in the aerospace sector have plummeted over the last decade – even as companies put more and more importance on technology to help them attain their net zero goals.
Annual patent applications leading to the end of 2022 sank to a point last recorded in 2015. The 353 priority filings this year are 25% lower than the all-time peak in 2019, when there were 469 such filings.
Appleyard Lees Partner Adam Tindall commented, “As demand for air travel climbs back to pre-pandemic levels and revenues along the aircraft supply chain rise, more budget could be allocated to developing technologies which can future-proof the industry, especially in view of increasing regulation. The dip in patent filings could prove temporary as further patents are filed to protect more sustainable technologies.”
Innovation in aircraft power plant or propulsion systems has been the dominant factor for patent filings in the five years to 2022 – which may suggest a move to integrating new systems into existing aircraft bodies rather than improving established technologies.
The study found that the USA and Europe are the leading markets for new patent filings for sustainable aerospace – together accounting for almost 80% of the global total in 2022. This is largely influenced by hosting the headquarters of nine of the top ten aerospace companies in the world. Among aerospace companies, Rolls Royce takes the top spot in the latest patent filing data, bucking the trend of filing 54 patents in 2022 – almost a third higher than its 2021 total of 41. Meanwhile, General Electric follows in second place, with 37 patent filings and Airbus in third place with 19.
Alia Tayer, European patent attorney at Appleyard Lees, added, “While efficiencies related to incremental improvements in aircraft may be tailing off, there is vibrant innovation in disruptive sustainability solutions, for example aircraft adapted to use sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen combustion, either alone or combined with traditional jet fuel.”
