Hopes are high for the automotive industry as a recent, in-depth study revealed a show-stopping rise in innovation to develop new propulsion technologies.

At present, much of the innovation we see is undertaken by Japanese and Korean manufacturers; however there are exciting times ahead as European activity is set to increase in the next few years from less than 2,000 in 2009 to almost 12,000 by July 2014.

Figures show we are now seeing increasing levels of interest in alternative propulsion technologies including hydrocarbon fuel cells and the continued development of conventional electric and electric/hybrid power trains.

The study revealed that Toyota took the top spot, with the highest number of patent applications, whilst Honda and Mitsubishi also sat amongst the top ten firms on the list.

In a recent development, Toyota has declared that all its 5,680-odd patents which they solely own for the electric car-related fuel cell technology will be royalty-free. The move is intended help speed up the launch of the cars and hydrogen refuelling stations.

In the UK and elsewhere in Europe, it seems that companies are taking advantage of government/EU funding for developments in low carbon vehicle technologies which can be expected to lead to a corresponding rise in patent activity.

With members of our team specialising in the automotive sector, Wilson Gunn are able to offer expert advice on all aspects of your intellectual property.

You can contact a member of our team by clicking here.