The construction industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by an increased focus on environmental sustainability, workplace safety and circular construction, and the growing importance of technologies such as robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT) and modular construction. In the last three years alone, there have been over 248,000 patents filed and granted in the construction industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Environmental sustainability in Construction: Vacuum-insulated glazing.
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 stabilising 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 179,000 patents, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, green roofing is a disruptive technology that is in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. HAWT wind turbines, environmental barrier coatings, and vacuum-insulated glazing are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are hybrid electric heavy machinery and energy-efficient HVAC system, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for environmental sustainability in the construction industry
Vacuum-insulated glazing is a key innovation area in environmental sustainability
Vacuum-insulated glazing, or VIG, is a method to improve the thermal performance of glazed windows, and thus improve the energy efficiency of buildings. As opposed to conventional glazing methods, which use a number of separate panes of glass within a sealed frame, vacuum-insulated glazing retains heat through the use of a vacuum between the panes of glass.
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 60 companies, spanning technology vendors, established construction companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of vacuum-insulated glazing.
Key players in vacuum-insulated glazing – a disruptive innovation in the construction industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to vacuum-insulated glazing
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Leading companies in the development of vacuum-insulated glazing include Panasonic, a producer of consumer electronics, construction technology, and home and building solutions. Panasonic’s key innovations relating to vacuum-insulated glazing include a glass panel unit allowing the stable formation of a vacuum. The glass panel unit includes a first glass panel, a second glass panel, a seal, an evacuated space, and at least one spacer, which is much less easily recognisable to the viewer. Further leading innovators in the space include AGC, a provider of chemicals, ceramics and glass products. AGC’s key patents in the space include a manufacturing method of a vacuum multilayer glass panel, which consists of a first glass plate, a second glass plate, a sealing material and a getter material.
In terms of application diversity, leading companies include Guardian Europe, a manufacturer of glass products, and Va Q Tec, a developer of environmentally friendly vacuum insulation panels. By means of geographic reach, leading companies include BASF, a provider of a wide range of chemicals, and Holcim, a building material manufacturer.
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.
