Hopping on World Sustainable Transport Day – showcasing innovation in transport

How patent information can help track emerging trends and green technologies in the transport sector

To mark UN World Sustainable Transport Day on 26 November, we’d like to explore how patent information can help to track emerging trends and green technologies in the transport sector. 

In terms of promoting sustainable development in the long term, it is vital to make transportation environmentally-friendly and available to all members of the community. These objectives are reflected in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). 

Emerging trends and patent filings in transportation reflect this growing focus on sustainability and inclusivity. Accessibility is one of the key buzzwords related to transportation. It has never been easy for the elderly and for persons who are physically impaired to get around, but changes are on the horizon, with patent filings for innovative inventions set to improve this situation. 

The utility model featured below entitled “special automobile for disabled” offers just one example of an interesting invention. Amongst other functions, it offers a special boarding aid to help physically impaired people to get in and out of the vehicle.  

The recent surge in inventions related to mobility prioritises goals such as effective decarbonisation based on shared mobility solutions customised to meet the needs of vulnerable persons. Innovation is also strong in assistive means of transport for people with special needs. One example of such innovation is the system to control wheelchairs by voice, facial expression or even brain signals, developed by a team of finalists for the EPO’s Young Inventors Prize in 2024 (see link to the press release below). 

Densely populated areas currently face a host of challenges ranging from soaring fuel costs to parking space shortages. The PCT application below from Colombia finds novel ways to tackle these problems. Equipped with a mini-kitchen and storage unit, the small vehicle depicted below has been designed for food delivery services, allowing ready-to-eat meals to be prepared on the move for customers. The vehicle’s engine and kitchen are both powered by a roof-mounted solar panel, which is complemented by an activated carbon filter in the exhaust pipe. All in all, this is a highly sustainable means of food delivery, especially for crowded and congested cities.  

Another example of a shared mobility solution in the tourism industry is the intelligent unmanned sightseeing motorcade. In addition to transporting groups of people in a normal vehicle, the motorcade could also meet the needs of vulnerable groups and be used to transport disabled, elderly and pregnant women and children by adapting the vehicle’s design. Thanks to its versatility, the vehicle can also carry a built-in unmanned arial vehicle to photograph scenic areas. This, in turn, enables garbage detection and supports cost-effective waste collection in remote areas. The legal event information in Espacenet shows that this invention has lapsed due to the non-payment of the last annual fees due, which means that the invention is now available in the public domain. 

Sustainable transport technologies also play a crucial role in areas that do not immediately spring to mind such as space technologies. The EPO’s patent insight report on propulsion systems for space features a section on green propellants and a chart that can be filtered by green technologies in propulsion systems. The EPO’s platform on space technologies also allows you to discover technologies that can expand our understanding of the cosmos while improving life on earth (see “Further information” below for links to the report, chart and platform). 

 
Tableau chart on propulsion systems for space which can be filtered by green technologies in this technical field. 
 

 
Green propellant patent filings by year and country. Taken from patent insight report on propulsion systems (page 40). 

So in the spirit of World Sustainable Transport Day, let’s share and celebrate brilliant inventions and promising trends that are leading us to a safer, smarter and more sustainable world. 
 

Keywords: transport, sustainable transport, sustainable development, accessible transport, green tech, space tech