Talk to anyone in the industry and they’ll tell you the biggest points of technological growth: quantum computing, autonomous driving, robotics, and machine learning. But US patent data filed over the last five years tells a different story about the fastest growing sectors, according to a report by patent analytics firm IFI. They were technologies related to batteries, the production of sustainable materials, and electrolytic processes, which use electricity to spur chemical reactions and support clean fuel creation. The data suggests that the components of today’s biggest technology — AI — have largely been invented, and the next frontier for innovation is in power systems and sustainability.
The push for green inventions comes from car companies, with Honda and auto component-maker Toshiba dominating those grant filings. It’s a signal that companies continue to see real business value in developing those new technologies, outside of the political ESG discourse that has tempered in recent years. And as energy becomes a focal point in the AI race, innovation on the battery front will continue in the coming years.