The consumer industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by convenience, environmental sustainability, aesthetics, and the growing importance of food safety and transparency, personalized nutrition, and digital food management technologies. In the last three years alone, there have been over 52,000 patents filed and granted in the consumer industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Innovation in consumer: dairy protein compositions. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
30+ innovations will shape the consumer industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the consumer industry using innovation intensity models built on over 12,000 patents, there are 30+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, microencapsulated proteins, plant-based cheese substitutes, and texturized vegetable proteins are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Beverage pods, edible oil non-spreads and recombinant steviol glycosidesg are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are anabolic muscle supplements and protein-fortified beverages, which are now well established in the industry.
Innovation S-curve for the consumer industry
Dairy protein compositions is a key innovation area in consumer
Dairy protein compositions refer to the use of specific strains of bacteria or proteins derived from milk to create various dairy-based food and nutritional products. These compositions are commonly used to improve the health benefits of these products, enhance their taste and texture, and prolong their shelf life.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 180+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established consumer companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of dairy protein compositions.
Key players in dairy protein compositions – a disruptive innovation in the consumer industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to dairy protein compositions
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Danone is one of the leading patent filers in dairy protein compositions. Some other key patent filers in the space include Nestle, Chr. Hansen, and Abbott Laboratories. Danone has introduced a novel infant formula that combines elements from both plants and dairy. The product combines dairy and plant components to create a baby food that is purported to offer comprehensive nutrition, while also boasting a 30% lower carbon footprint compared to alternative powdered formulas.
In terms of application diversity, Precigen and Genome lead the pack, with Kerry Group and Geo-Poland in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, a2 Milk Company holds the top position, followed by Precigen and Centro de Investigacion en Alimentacion y Desarrollo.
The food industry will increasingly adopt dairy protein compositions as numerous players in the sector strive to enhance the health advantages of dairy items, elevate their flavor and consistency, and extend their shelf life.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the consumer industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Consumer.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
