The ban on the use of autonomous cars in France and most European countries does not prevent companies from setting the stage. On the contrary. According to one recent study of the European Patent Office (EPO), between 2011 and 2017, 18,000 patent applications relating to the field of automated driving technologies were filed with the organization. A phenomenon in full acceleration.
3,998 applications were filed in 2017 against 992 in 2011, an increase of “330% against 16% for all technologies over the same period,” says the study.
The dynamic is not trivial. Patents protect their owners and, in particular, promote licensing agreements and collaborations between the various players in a construction market. “They can offer a unique insight into the direction a technology is taking, as well as companies and countries with a leading position in the field,” said EPO President António Campinos.
Samsung, first applicant
In fact, over this period, the main candidates are called Samsung (624 requests), Intel (590), Qualcomm (361) and LG (348). Four tech companies, therefore, and not car manufacturers.
Like the world number one Samsung electronics, many technology companies dream to take part in the adventure of the autonomous car and specialize on the components and algorithms that will equip these vehicles in the future.
France well placed
A finding corroborated by the study of the EPO: of the 500 main patent applicants from 2011 to 2017, 32.8% are companies in the information and communication technology sector, ahead of the automotive industry ( 29.3%), telecommunications (13.6%) and electrical equipment manufacturers (12.1%).
If American companies are one step ahead of their competitors, particularly in terms of regulation, it is from Europe that the majority of applications (37.2%) come from. France is also in second place, behind Germany, and ahead of Sweden. Followed by the United States (33.7%), Japan (13.3%) and Korea (7.3%).