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. 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 Environmental sustainability in construction: atmospheric water harvesting. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
80+ innovations will shape the construction industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the construction industry using innovation intensity models built on over 240,000 patents, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, atmospheric water harvesting and recycled concrete fillers are the disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Smart glazing, eco-friendly HVACs, and recycled waste-based cements are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas is wall surface temperature controls, which is now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for environmental sustainability in the construction industry
Atmospheric water harvesting is a key innovation area in environmental sustainability
With building and construction works requiring significant amounts of water, new technologies focused on atmospheric water harvesting to collect water from the air can help to reduce demand for mains water, enhancing the environmental sustainability of construction activities.
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 790+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established construction companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of atmospheric water harvesting.
Key players in atmospheric water harvesting – 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 atmospheric water harvesting
| Company | Total patents (2021 - 2023) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Watergen | 54 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council | 43 | Unlock Company Profile |
| SOURCE Global, PBC | 42 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Siemens | 40 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Genesis Systems | 25 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Totetu Manufacturing | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Lta | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China State Construction Engineering | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation | 22 | Unlock Company Profile |
| State Grid Corporation of China | 20 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zero Mass Water | 19 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Berkshire Hathaway | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kobe Steel | 18 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shandong Sunway Landscape Technology | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Ford Motor | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
| POSCO | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Fresenius Medical Care | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Water Harvesting | 14 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Dongguan Lianzhou Intellectual Property Operation Management | 13 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Exaeris Water Innovations | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Teijin | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Island Sky | 12 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Healixa | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Marelli | 11 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Porsche Automobil | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Power Construction Corporation of China | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Honeywell International | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Guizhou Transportation Planning Survey and Design Academe | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Agilitas Partners | 10 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Railway Group | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| South East Water | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Orbia Advance | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Panasonic | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Raytheon Technologies | 9 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kotobuki Realty | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Atlaspco | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Architecture Design & Research Group | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Arup Group | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Gree Electric Appliances | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Dutch Rainmaker | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| ACO Severin Ahlmann | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Uni-President China | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Uni-President China | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hefei Hongrun Environmental Protection Technology | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Kessel | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Frankische Rohrwerke Gebr Kirchner | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Whirlpool | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Deere | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| KSB | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zhao Yang Geotechnic | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Watergen is the leading filer in the development and implementation of atmospheric water harvesting solutions, using its patented GENius technology.
Other leading patent filers include SOURCE Global, Siemens, and Genesis Systems. The latter’s liquid-based technologies are stated to be capable of generating mass water from the air at daily volumes ranging up to 100 million gallons.
In terms of application diversity, the top position is held by SOURCE Global, followed by Watergen and Siemens.
By means of geographic reach, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization holds the top position, followed by Lta and Kobe Steel.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the construction industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research reports on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in 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.
