The construction industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by an increased focus on environmental sustainability and workplace safety, and the growing importance of technologies such as the Internet-of-Things (IoT) and robotics as well as higher quality construction products and materials. In the last three years alone, there have been over 27,000 patents filed and granted in the construction industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Modular construction in construction: mobile scaffolds. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 240,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the construction industry, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Mobile scaffolds are a key innovation area in modular construction
A mobile scaffold provides a movable working platform that is beneficial for tasks such as painting and plastering. It consists of a scaffold that can be adjusted for size and shape set on wheels or casters, allowing for fast manoeuvrability.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 80+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established construction companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of mobile scaffolds.
Key players in mobile scaffolds – a disruptive innovation in the construction industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to mobile scaffolds
| Company | Total patents (2021 - 2023) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Shanghai Construction Group | 51 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council | 48 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Mondragon Cooperativa | 33 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China State Construction Engineering | 31 | Unlock Company Profile |
| PERI | 31 | Unlock Company Profile |
| KONE | 24 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Wobben Properties | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Brand Industrial Services | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| MEVA Schalungs-Systeme | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| ThyssenKrupp | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China MCC20 Group | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Communications Construction Group | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China MCC5 Group | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| MCC5 Group Shanghai | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanghai Ershiye Construction | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China State Shipbuilding | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Third Metallurgical Group | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Safe Rack | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Global Dominion Access | 4 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Metallurgical Group | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Cccc Wuhan Harbour Eng Design & Res Inst | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Power Construction Corporation of China | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Honeywell International | 3 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sam Carbis Asset Management | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| HD Hyundai | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shanghai Construction Engineering Group | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| The Second Construction Co Ltd of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Beijing Urban Construction Yatai Group | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Samsung C&T | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Country Garden | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hyundai Engineering & Construction | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhucheng Technology (Shenzhen) | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Chemical Engineering | 2 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Wuye Group Shanghai | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| YCIH No 6 Construction | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| AFC Mercury | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shandong Road And Bridge Construction | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhejiang Jinggong Steel Building Group | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Railway No 3 Construction and Installation Engineering | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Aerospace Construction Group | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| First Construction Engineering Constr 2Nd Engineering Bureau | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| No6 Engineering of China Railway 20Th Bureau Group | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Safeway Services | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| The First Company of China Eighth Engineering Bureau | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Anhui Construction Engineering Group | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Erchu Of China Railway Tunnel Group | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Baishan Zhongtian Development Group | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Construction First Group The Sixth Construction | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kumkang Kind | 1 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
China’s State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC), Shanghai Construction Group, PERI, and Mondragon are among the leading innovators in the mobile scaffold space.
One of PERI’s recent innovations to improve the efficiency and safety of mobile scaffold usage involves the use of hydraulic cylinders, power units, and control units designed to allow the operator to raise and lower the height of the scaffold. In addition, the climbing unit would also extend and retract synchronously with the formwork, mitigating excess safety risks arising from exposed falling edges.
In terms of application diversity, the leading companies are Wobben Properties, Shandong Road and Bridge Construction, and KONE.
The leading companies in terms of geographic reach are Wobben Properties, Brand Industrial Services, and MEVA Schalungs-Systeme.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the construction industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Construction.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
