Cybersecurity innovation: leading companies in vehicle anti-theft systems for the automotive industry

The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by increasing penetration of electronics into vehicle systems to make mobility safer and intelligent and enhance in-car experiences. Megatrends governing the auto industry, which include more connected features, autonomy, shared and electrification, are growing the importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, the Internet of Things, robotics and cloud computing. In the last three years alone, there have been over 1.2 million patents filed and granted in the automotive industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Cybersecurity in Automotive: Vehicle anti-theft systems. 

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 619,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the automotive industry, there are 290+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Anti-theft alarm system functions on internally and externally installed sensors in a vehicle. The sensors activate on encountering a vehicle impact or motion triggering an alarm to notify owner. 

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 20+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of vehicle anti-theft systems.

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators. 

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’. 

Toko Rika has emerged as a leader in terms of total number of patents filed in anti-theft alarm systems. Toko Rika is a key supplier of electronics components including anti-theft alarm system to Toyota, which also happens to be a major shareholder in the company. Toko Rika has been working with other companies on the co-development of security solutions for connected and autonomous vehicles. It has recently partnered with Takenaka and two other companies to develop keyless entry system for aerial work vehicles. 

Denso stands second in terms of number of patents filed in anti-theft alarm systems. Denso holds 9.72% share in ToTokaika. Denso have been heavily involved in innovations with respect to vehicle security. One such recent development is its partnership NTT Com to establish Security Operation Center (SOC) for vehicles to combat the threat of increasing vehicle cyber-attacks. 

To further understand how cybersecurity is disrupting the automotive industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Cybersecurity in Automotive.