Patent activity points to fuel cell maturity

Large firms operating in the fuel cell industry have embarked on a busy period of patent filing, according to a leading expert in the field.

Robert Fieseler, a patent lawyer and former specialist in the fuel cell industry with Ballard, told Ward's AutoWorld recent analysis indicates an upturn in the number of innovations being registered as patents.

Describing an end to what he calls a period of "patent passivity", Mr Fieseler told the industry magazine the number and type of patents being filed indicates a growing maturity in the fuel cell market.

The McAndrews lawyer says the number of Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications being submitted has grown dramatically in the last seven years, led by Siemens and Ballard.

Mr Fieseler says the larger firms are leading the way, echoing similar trends in other developing industries where the more established companies pick up patents from smaller companies in order to commercialise the technology.

He added the use of PCTs was particularly instructive as it showed a concrete level of investment, with Toyota among those automotive firms leading the way.

"I used PCT applications as the basis for illustrating patenting trends," he commented, "because they are, in my experience, the most reliable indicators of which technologies companies are investing their research and development dollars."

Five key criteria are expected to determine fuel cells' success – reducing the cost of the catalyst; hydrogen storage; development of infrastructure; reducing membrane costs; and water management.


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Source: Adfero