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 glycosides 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

Insulin-stimulating foods is a key innovation area in consumer

Insulin helps to balance the micronutrient level in the human body and thereby regulate the energy supply in the body.

Insulin-stimulating foods provide energy to the body so that the body can function properly.

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 105+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established consumer companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of insulin-stimulating foods.

Key players in insulin stimulating foods – 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 insulin stimulating foods

Nestle is the leading patent filer in the insulin-stimulating foods space. Some other key patent filers in the space are Danone, Morinaga Milk Industry, and Sigrid Therapeutics. Danone India introduced Protinex Diabetes Care in December 2021. The product is aimed at addressing the nutritional needs of consumers with diabetes.

In terms of application diversity, Boston Scientific leads the pack, while CJ and Nanjing Nutrabuilding Bio-tech stand in second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, TOKIWA Phytochemical holds the top position, followed by Morinaga Milk Industry and Kraft Heinz.

Insulin-stimulating foods will potentially gain greater importance in the near future, with consumers increasingly becoming more health conscious. These foods will also find greater importance in the medical segment.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the consumer industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Consumer.

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.