Emerging technologies in transportation

A recent report by World Intellectual Property Organization, Geneva, WIPO Technology Trends Report 2025: The Future of Transportation,  focuses on emerging, new innovative technologies in the early stages of development or adoption, often representing advancements that could significantly impact industries, societies, or economies. This report includes contributions from experts in the transportation sector, futurists, intellectual property, policy and innovation. Although in this study, experts identified and analyzed emerging technologies in each of the four principal transport modalities of Land, Sea, Air and Space, this excerpt will restrict itself to the first three modes.

Urban air taxis, also known as Vertical Takeoff and Landing Aircraft (VTOLs), are a significant advancement aiming to alleviate urban congestion and reduce travel times in densely populated areas. There are various types of urban air taxis under development, including vectored thrust, wingless, lift plus cruise, and tilt rotor configurations.

The study identified emerging technologies by analysing ‘weak signals’ gathered from several key sources such as patent activity dynamics, in which trends in patent filings indicated areas of growing innovation and interest. Additionally, statements and strategic plans from companies and organizations were also reviewed so as to uncover their priorities and technological focus areas. Political considerations, such as government policies, funding priorities and strategic documents, also provided insights, reflecting public investment trends and societal priorities.

Future transportation technologies on Land include solid-state batteries and platooning. Solid-state batteries (SSBs) represent a significant advancement in battery technology, offering several key benefits over traditional batteries. They are particularly relevant for both freight and passenger vehicles owing to their potential to enhance performance and safety. The core benefits of solid-state batteries include enhanced safety, higher energy density, longer lifespan and fast charging capability.

However, they currently have several limitations, including challenges regarding commercial-scale production, complex and costly manufacturing processes, and maintaining the stability of solid electrolytes and their interface with electrodes.

Platooning represents a significant advancement in Land transportation technology, enabling multiple vehicles to travel closely together at high speed, controlled by automated driving systems and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. This technology involves forming a convoy of vehicles, typically trucks, led by a vehicle that is manually driven, with the vehicles following autonomously controlled so as to maintain a close distance and synchronize movement. The technological benefits of platooning include improved fuel efficiency, enhanced safety and greater road capacity.

Platooning also faces several challenges and limitations, including the need for a reliable V2V communication system, regulatory and legal hurdles, and the requirement for consistent road infrastructure to support automated driving technologies. Recent developments in mitigating these challenges include a method for autonomously guiding motor vehicles in a platooning formation using steering and headway controllers coupled with lateral and front distance control systems. It involves dual lane side detectors, which could be 2D or 3D laser scanners or integrated cameras in modified side mirrors, providing the image data needed to maintain vehicle alignment and proximity to the lead vehicle. Additionally, these systems are capable of complex tasks such as arbitrating between lateral distance, a pre-set forward look-ahead point and data from other sensors such as radar for comprehensive vehicle steering and navigation control.

Future technological advancements in sea lie in smart ports and ammonia as marine fuel. Smart ports are vital components of the global logistics network and have undergone a significant transformation driven by economic, socioeconomic, political and environmental factors. The need for sustainability and digitalization has led to the emergence of smart ports that are characterized by highly efficient, autonomous and technologically advanced operations, achieved through the adoption of technologies such as AI, Big Data, IoT and blockchain. These technologies enable automation, the optimization of logistics flow and enhanced efficiency.

One such invention is a system designed to control the unloading and loading of ships using advanced technology. It includes a ship loading and unloading control system and related apparatuses, which work together to optimize the entire process. It is aimed at improving the efficiency and coordination of maritime cargo handling by utilizing scheduling and shore crane control systems, and vehicle control systems with the use of AI, big data, and automated scheduling and task management integrating with warehouse management systems to streamline operations.

Ammonia (NH3) is a potential alternative marine fuel composed of nitrogen and hydrogen that can power ships and produces only minimal carbon emissions. Its high energy density, established production and transportation infrastructure and successful engine conversions make it a viable candidate for decarbonizing the maritime industry.

Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) and Urban Air Mobility are two promising innovations in the Air modality of transport. SAFs are produced from renewable resources, offering an alternative to conventional jet fuels derived from fossil fuel. Some examples of SAFs include Biofuels: these are made from organic materials such as plant oils, algae or agricultural waste; Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ): this process converts alcohols derived from corn or cellulose biomass, such as ethanol or butanol, into jet fuel; Power-to-Liquid (PtL): this type of SAF uses renewable electricity (e.g., wind or solar power) to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water into synthetic fuels; Camelina-based biofuels: camelina is a type of oilseed plant used to produce biofuel for aviation seen as a promising feedstock, because it can be grown on land unsuitable for food crops; Algae-based biofuels: algae produce oils that can be processed into SAFs. SAFs currently account for less than 0.1% of all aviation fuels consumed. Increasing their use to 10% by 2030 is seen as crucial if the aviation industry is to achieve its sustainability goals.

However, challenges remain in terms of infrastructure development, regulatory frameworks, public acceptance and technical limitations, such as battery technology, flight safety and noise reduction. The European Union (EU) has recently taken an important step in the realm of air transportation with the introduction of new aviation regulations. A pivotal aspect of these is the creation of a new aircraft category: VTOL- Capable Aircraft (VCA). By distinguishing these vehicles from traditional rotorcraft and airplanes, the EU recognizes the unique advantages of VTOL technology, particularly its reliance on distributed propulsion systems, which utilize more than two propulsion units.

Recent developments include a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) passenger aircraft, emphasizing easy luggage access and energy efficiency. This VTOL aircraft combines helicopter-like capabilities for limited space take-offs and landings with the high-speed and efficient cruising of conventional aircraft, aiming to reduce energy consumption, especially in electrically-powered eVTOL models. It includes a fuselage with a passenger cabin and a rear-accessible cargo bay, featuring an upward-opening door for efficient luggage loading without hindering passenger movement.

Experts feel ferrying passengers would still need a pilot at least for the next 15 to 25 years but carrying cargo has a very promising future. A drone flying over a beach full of people will immediately raise issues of privacy invasion, but if it is from the local council surveying the area to ensure there is no sewage going into the sea, the response from the public would be different.

Source: WIPO Technology Trends:

Future of Transportation