The latest WIPO Technology Trends report, Future of Transportation, explores how innovation is reshaping global mobility. Released on February 6, 2025, the report examines the shift from traditional, fossil fuel-based systems to cleaner and more advanced technologies, offering valuable guidance for policymakers, researchers, and businesses.
A New Chapter for Transportation
The report identifies over 1.1 million transportation-related inventions published in patents since 2000, with an annual growth rate of 11% through 2023—double the rate seen in other sectors. This highlights the transportation industry’s growing importance to global economies and its significant share of energy-related carbon emissions, at about 23% annually.
Technological developments focus on two key themes: sustainability and digitalisation. Patenting in older technologies, such as internal combustion engines, has slowed since 2018, while innovations in green fuels, connected systems, and clean propulsion methods have gained momentum. Sustainable propulsion technologies, such as electric vehicle batteries and hydrogen fuel cells, are leading this transformation.
Supporting Policy and Commercialisation
The report highlights the importance of moving new technologies from development to practical use. Policymakers and businesses must work together to establish regulations and strategies that support the widespread adoption of these innovations. This collaboration is essential for meeting global goals, such as reducing emissions and creating more connected transport systems. In an article published by WIPO, WIPO Director General Daren Tang underscored this need: “As nations worldwide strive to achieve net-zero emissions and build new forms of connectivity, the future of transportation will profoundly impact us all. At this pivotal juncture, we need bold thinking as well as collaborative action to shape policies, standards, and regulations that promote commercialization of these great inventions poised to transform the transportation industry.”
Shedding Light to the Future of Transportation
The report, the third in WIPO’s Technology Trends series, uses both traditional patent searches and AI analysis of patents, research papers, and industry announcements. It categorises findings by land, sea, air, and space transport, providing a comprehensive look at how sustainability and digital technologies are shaping the sector.
Key findings include:
· A 700% increase in patents related to future transportation over the past 20 years, rising from 15,000 in 2003 to 120,000 in 2023.
· These inventions now make up 40% of all transportation patents, compared to 16% in 2003.
· Sustainable and digital innovations dominate, signaling a clear move away from older technologies.
The report also highlights the growing role of Innovative Aerial Services (IAS) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) as transformative forces in modern transportation.
IAS encompasses the integration of aerial services into new metropolitan, regional, and urban traffic systems that include the mobility of people and goods as well as local authority services such as law enforcement, environmental monitoring, and emergency response.
Urban planners and policymakers increasingly recognise the need for Innovative Aerial Services to be embedded within sustainable urban mobility plans, connecting air and ground transportation and other public services into a unified network. However, achieving this vision requires a shared digital infrastructure for secure, interoperable data exchange, and coordinated approaches across sectors. Efforts to integrate urban air mobility with Intelligent Transport Systems & Services (ITS) and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) frameworks highlight the importance of real-time communication between air and ground systems. This integrated approach ensures smooth traffic management, safety, and optimal use of shared infrastructure.
Despite its promise, IAS deployment faces challenges such as multilevel governance, regulatory coordination, and public trust. Developing necessary physical and digital infrastructure, including vertiports and airspace management systems, requires collaboration and investment. Addressing societal concerns, such as noise and environmental impact, is critical for public acceptance.
IDI’s Platform Contribution to integrating aerial services in multimodal traffic
Intelligent Transport Systems & Services (ITS) are the cornerstone for efficient and sustainable mobility. The ITS-Driven Innovative aerial services (IDI) innovation and deployment platform, powered by ERTICO – ITS EUROPE, is at the forefront of integrating aerial services into multimodal traffic systems and next-generation operations and public services of cities and regions urban and regional operations. The IDI Platform envisions a future where such integration and interoperability create more effective and efficient transportation systems as well as more secure, resilient, and sustainable urban and regional environments.
The IDI platform addresses the growing need for interoperability and integration of air and ground traffic data and services, and drives innovation deployment by setting standards, tackling regulatory challenges, and promoting cross-sector initiatives to ensure safety, security, and sustainability. Through its quadruple helix innovation model (which connects academia, industry, government, and civil society), the platform works to accelerate the responsible deployment of ITS and Innovative Aerial Services (IAS). This collaborative approach sets the foundations for the development of governance principles, operational procedures, and organisational models that are robust and future-ready.
Reflection on WIPO’s Report and IDI’s Shared Vision
The WIPO report and the approach of the IDI platform both underscore sustainability and digitalisation as the driving forces towards an integrated transportation ecosystem. Both initiatives also emphasise the critical role of collaboration in addressing complex challenges, from establishing regulatory frameworks to promoting cross-sector partnerships. By complementing each other: the WIPO report highlights global trends and innovations, and the approach of the IDI platform provides a concrete way forward of what needs to be in place for these advancements to be implemented in practice to safeguard sustainable impact.
Co-Chair of the IDI Platform, Dr Vassilis Agouridas, highlighted, during the launch of the IDI Platform at the World ITS Congress 2024, “the importance of interoperable traffic data and services as the backbone for any type of integrated services combining, in a complementary manner, air and ground traffic”.
Building a Sustainable Future
The WIPO report provides valuable insights for stakeholders looking to address pressing challenges in transportation. By focusing on practical solutions and working together, industries and governments can develop sustainable, efficient, and inclusive mobility systems. From reusable rockets and autonomous cars to innovative aerial services in metropolitan areas and green shipping, today’s innovations are shaping a better future for transportation worldwide.
