Research and innovation into the Internet of things in the food manufacturing sector has declined in the last year.
The most recent figures show the number patent applications related to the Internet of things (IoT) made by companies stood at 22 in the three months ending February – down from 40 over the same period in 2021.
However, data on the number of patents granted followed a different pattern to filings. They grew from 12 in the three months ending February 2021 to 19 in the same period in 2022.
The figures are compiled by GlobalData, which tracks patent filings and grants from authorised offices around the world. Using textual analysis, as well as official patent classifications, these patents are grouped into key thematic areas and linked to key companies across various industries.
IoT is one of the key areas tracked by GlobalData. It has been identified as being a key disruptive force facing companies in the coming years and is one of the areas that companies investing resources in now are expected to reap rewards from.
Noodle maker Uni-President China Holdings was the top IoT innovator in the food manufacturing sector in the quarter under review. The company, which has its headquarters in Taiwan, filed 14 IoT-related patents in the three months ending February. That was down from 34 over the same period in 2021 but the manufacturer still topped the charts.
It was followed by PepsiCo with four IoT patent applications and Taiwan based Uni-President Enterprises Corp. with three.
Further analysis:
The latest figures on food manufacturers’ big data patents
Patents on machine learning in food – what are the trends?
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