New IAM Special Report zooms in on the auto industry

IAM’s latest Special Report, published today, focuses on the rapidly advancing auto industry. From the boom in electric vehicles to the steady rise in autonomous driving capabilities, this Special Report turns the headlights on some of the forces driving the industry at a time when it is undergoing seismic change.

The first part of the report examines the bumpy road to cellular licensing of carmakers, examining the journey that has been taken by SEP holders and implementers and reflecting on the lessons learned from the bitter battles that consumed the industry just a few, short years ago.

We speak with Avanci about the joint licensing programme that shaped the relationship between licensors and licensees as well as with early-adopter Ericsson. The move to work with Avanci was a “watershed” moment, Ericsson VP Mathias Hellman tells us.

The second section of the report looks at the current shift to electric vehicles as demand booms and revolutionises traditional car manufacturing. In particular, the market in China has seen explosive growth in recent years, with BYD leading the way. In 2023, the automaker surpassed Tesla as the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, after it sold more than 3 million new energy vehicles.

IAM also sat down with industry leaders: EV pioneer Toyota, incoming industry force Zhejiang Geely and Korean auto giant Hyundai to delve into how IP underpins their strategies. We also give a peek behind the curtain of the world’s biggest supplier of EV batteries: CATL. CATL’s clients include Tesla, Ford, BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen but, as US trade restrictions begin to bite, the battery behemoth is rethinking how it will penetrate the world’s largest economy.

The final section of the report looks at the future for the auto industry and the IP strategies that support the insertion of a vast array of technologies into vehicles around the world.

From the latest joint licensing programmes spearheaded by Avanci and autonomous driving patent ownership and strategy, the market remains rich in IP opportunities. Finally, we round up some of the key spaces to watch as the auto market continues to shift gears. 

You can access IAM’s Special Report 2024 Q1: Auto here.