The construction industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity 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 248,000 patents filed and granted in the construction industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Workplace safety in Construction: Protective window coatings.
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 179,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the construction industry, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Protective window coatings are a key innovation area in workplace safety
Protective window coatings provide protection for windows to prevent shattering as well as to provide UV filtering, while avoiding blocking the light flow.
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 10+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established construction companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of protective window coatings.
Key players in protective window coatings – 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 protective window coatings
| Company | Total patents (2010 - 2021) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Haier Group | 22 | Unlock company profile |
| Ningbo Xianfeng New Material | 20 | Unlock company profile |
| LG | 15 | Unlock company profile |
| State Grid Corporation of China | 15 | Unlock company profile |
| Compagnie de Saint-Gobain | 14 | Unlock company profile |
| Midea Holding | 10 | Unlock company profile |
| Riken Technos | 9 | Unlock company profile |
| Nuera Enterprises Canada | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| Taishan Ping An Hardware Goods | 8 | Unlock company profile |
| VAT Group | 7 | Unlock company profile |
| Kawasaki Heavy Industries | 7 | Unlock company profile |
| China General Nuclear Power | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Norsk Hydro | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Nilfisk Holding | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Planet GDZ | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Dujiangyan Kaixin Automatic Door Technology | 6 | Unlock company profile |
| Anhui Meiwo Door & Window Technology | 5 | Unlock company profile |
| Suzhou Huicheng Zhizao Industrial Design | 5 | Unlock company profile |
| Anhui Kata Doors and Windows | 5 | Unlock company profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Saint-Gobain, with its various subsidiaries, is among the leading patent filers in protective window coatings. Saint-Gobain's Solar Gard is a leading player in the solar and security window film and paint protection films sector. Slaor Gard architectural films reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 30% as well as block 99% of UV light. Other leading filers include Nilfisk and Ningbo Xianfeng New Material.
In terms of application diversity, Nilfisk leads the pack, while Riken Technos is ahead of its competitors in terms of geographical diversity.
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.
