CFRP NDT & Inspection Patent Snapshot 2026
The CFRP non-destructive testing and inspection space is in a Growth stage, with a fragmented applicant field where no single player commands a dominant share and universities and aerospace primes compete alongside emerging entrants. China-filed records lead jurisdictional coverage, while ultrasonic material analysis remains the dominant technology route and AI-driven and image-processing branches remain comparatively sparse.
A fragmented, growth-stage field with no commanding leader
Baylor University holds the top position with 4 patent records, followed by Dongguan University of Technology with 3. No applicant has yet established a decisive concentration advantage, reflecting a field still in the process of consolidating around key technical approaches.
The top five filers collectively account for 23% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total, indicating a relatively low concentration for an emerging industrial inspection domain. There is no sharp tier gap between the leader and the second-ranked applicant, suggesting the assignee snapshot is genuinely open.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baylor University | 4 | |
| 2 | Dongguan University of Technology | 3 | |
| 3 | Airbus SAS | 2 | |
| 4 | Beijing Satellite Manufacturing Factory Co., Ltd. | 2 | |
| 5 | Airbus Operations SL | 2 | |
| 6 | The Boeing Company | 2 | |
| 7 | Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) | 2 | |
| 8 | NASA (United States of America as represented by the Administrator) | 2 | |
| 9 | Illinois Tool Works Inc. | 1 | |
| 10 | Zhejiang University of Technology | 1 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | CSIC No. 12 Research Institute | 1 | |
| 12 | Dr. Vidhika Tiwari | 1 | |
| 13 | Mundrathi Saikiran | 1 | |
| 14 | Mrs. M. Dharani | 1 | |
| 15 | Xi’an Jiaotong University | 1 | |
| 16 | Ningxia Luyin Engineering Testing Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 17 | AVIC General Huanan Aircraft Industry Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 18 | P. Saritha | 1 | |
| 19 | Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. | 1 | |
| 20 | Mr. R. B. Senthilrajan | 1 |
The presence of aerospace OEMs — Airbus entities and Boeing — alongside academic institutions such as Baylor University, Dongguan University of Technology, and. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency indicates that foundational R&D remains partly in academic hands, while industrialization of methods is being driven by the aerospace supply chain.
The most recent 18–24 months of filing data are subject to publication lag and likely understate true activity; conclusions about very recent momentum should be treated as provisional. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Annual filings rising on a multi-year basis; ultrasonic testing dominates the technology mix
The filing trend and technology composition charts together show where activity is concentrating and which IPC branches are gaining or losing relative share in this corpus.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings have grown substantially over the multi-year window, with a recent-window growth rate of 175%. The field is in a confirmed Growth stage. The 2024–2026 data points should be read as a lower bound given publication lag, not as evidence of a slowdown.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
G01N (material analysis and testing) accounts for the largest share of IPC branch records by a wide margin, confirming ultrasonic and related physical testing as the visible technical route. AI-model computing (G06N) and image data processing (G06T) appear at lower counts, signalling that data-driven inspection methods are present but not yet the primary focus of protected IP.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Method and system for non-destructive testing
A non-destructive testing system includes a test article interface and a reference article interface. The test article interface includes a connector to couple to a metal component of an article under test (AUT) and a connector to couple to a carbon fiber composite component of the AUT. The reference article interface includes a connector to couple to a… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
Open this patent in Eureka →| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Method and system for non-destructive testing of c… | 36 |
| 2 | Method for forming standard flaw for non-destructi… | 29 |
| 3 | Method and system for non-destructive testing of c… | 20 |
| 4 | Ultrasonic testing method and ultrasonic testing d… | 19 |
| 5 | 一种复合材料星敏支架及其制备方法 | 12 |
| 6 | 一种针对碳纤维复合材料R区无损检测的系统及检测方法 | 10 |
| 7 | 一种基于频域调控的超声导波相控阵CFRP缺陷检测方法 | 9 |
| 8 | Systems and methods of ultrasonic data evaluation … | 8 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural observations — maturity, concentration, collaboration, and geography — frame where differentiated IP positions can still be built and where incumbents have already staked claims.
Growth stage: foundational methods established, applied variants still being filed
The lifecycle evidence places this field firmly in Growth, with annual filings still rising and a multi-year recent-window growth rate of 175%. Ultrasonic testing methods (G01N) are well-represented, suggesting core measurement principles are established; however, the relatively small total corpus of 28 patent families in scope means that well-targeted filings can still achieve meaningful coverage. Early movers who define algorithmic or sensor-integration approaches now will have defensible positions as the field matures.
Growth stageLow concentration: no applicant holds more than 4 records; the field is genuinely contestable
With the top five filers holding only 23% of the ranked applicants visible in this query’ combined total, no incumbent has yet established a blocking position. The leader, Baylor University, holds 4 patent records — a margin of just one record over the second-ranked applicant. Any well-resourced entrant with a differentiated technical approach can realistically build a top-tier position within a 3–5 year filing programme.
Low concentrationAirbus entities and the JAXA–NDT pairing are the only confirmed co-filing relationships
The most active co-filing pairs are the Airbus group entities (Airbus Operations SAS, Airbus SAS, and Airbus Operations SL, each pairing with 2 co-filed records) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency paired with the non-destructive inspection specialist NDT Corporation (2 co-filed records). These collaborations are confined to aerospace incumbents; no cross-sector or academia–industry co-filing clusters are yet visible, leaving open the question of whether AI or digital-twin players will enter via partnership.
Aerospace-led co-filingChina is visible in filing volume; the United States is the second jurisdiction
China accounts for 19 patent records, the United States for 7, India for 4, and Japan for 3. The PCT route has only 1 record, indicating limited multi-jurisdictional protection strategies so far. For applicants targeting aerospace OEM customers — primarily in the US and Europe — the current filing geography suggests a gap between where IP is being filed and where the primary commercial markets operate.
China-led geographyGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| NDT Corporation | Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) | 2 |
| Airbus Operations SAS | Airbus SAS | 2 |
| Airbus Operations SAS | Airbus Operations SL | 2 |
| Airbus SAS | Airbus Operations SL | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Assignee snapshot from the current evidence set
The applicants below are visible in this query result. Because the evidence set is relatively small, read this section as a directional snapshot rather than a full competitive ranking.
Baylor University
Baylor University holds 4 patent records — the largest portfolio in this corpus — concentrated in G01N 29 (ultrasonic material analysis and testing), with additional coverage in G01B 17 (dimensional measurement) and G01N 15. Its momentum indicator shows it as a new entrant, meaning its entire position has been built within the recent filing window. This makes it the current leader by count but not necessarily by technical depth relative to aerospace incumbents with longer filing histories.
4 patent recordsDongguan University of Technology
Dongguan University of Technology holds 3 patent records, all concentrated in G01N 29 (ultrasonic material analysis and testing), and is also classified as a new entrant in recent-window momentum. Its tight single-branch focus distinguishes it from Baylor’s slightly broader coverage; a continued narrow specialisation strategy could allow rapid depth-building, while the lack of diversification into AI or image-processing branches leaves those adjacent areas unclaimed.
3 patent recordsFrequently asked questions
There are 28 patent families in scope. This is a relatively small corpus, which means that well-targeted filings can still achieve meaningful coverage and that the competitive positions of all applicants remain contestable.
Baylor University holds the most patent records in this corpus with 4 records, followed by Dongguan University of Technology with 3. Both are classified as new entrants in recent-window momentum, meaning their positions have been built entirely within the recent filing period.
China leads with 19 patent records, followed by the United States with 7, India with 4, and Japan with 3. The PCT route accounts for only 1 record, indicating that multi-jurisdictional protection strategies are not yet common in this space.
G01N (material analysis and testing), which includes ultrasonic inspection methods, is by far the visible IPC branch. AI-model computing (G06N) and image data processing (G06T) each appear at much lower counts, indicating that algorithmic and data-driven inspection approaches remain comparatively under-protected.
The field is in a Growth stage. Annual filings are still rising, with a recent-window growth rate of 175%. The most recent 18–24 months of data are subject to publication lag and likely understate current activity.
The confirmed co-filing relationships are between the Airbus group entities (Airbus Operations SAS, Airbus SAS, and Airbus Operations SL, each pair with 2 co-filed records) and between Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the non-destructive inspection specialist NDT Corporation (2 co-filed records). No cross-sector or academia–industry co-filing clusters are currently visible in the evidence.
Map your own CFRP inspection IP Snapshot
Join 18,000+ innovators using PatSnap Eureka to map any technology landscape: search 2B+ patents and papers, surface key assignees, and generate a report like this in minutes.
Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. PatSnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.