From invention to mobility and from niches to global races: Organizational leadership in hydrogen- and lithium-powered transport

The global transition toward cleaner energy systems has positioned hydrogen- and lithium battery–based technologies as key enablers of sustainable transport. However, their comparative innovation dynamics remain poorly understood, as studies of this kind have been scarce, despite the strategic importance of both energy carriers for the decarbonization of mobility, industrial competitiveness, and long-term energy security. By examining both technologies within a unified analytical framework, this study offers novel comparative evidence on how organizational leadership and inventor mobility jointly shape their technological trajectories. To address this gap, the study conducts a quantitative patent-based analysis of innovation outcomes in hydrogen- and lithium–battery–powered transport, emphasizing the role of leading organizations in shaping these trajectories. Using data from the European Patent Office for 2010–2022, the study applies two complementary indicators to assess technological leadership, specialization, and inventor mobility as mechanisms of knowledge diffusion. The results show that leadership in both technologies is concentrated among firms headquartered in Germany, China, South Korea, Japan, and the United States, with marked differences across technological classes and subclasses. Moreover, the study shows that knowledge diffusion occurs primarily through the mobility of inventors across organizations, suggesting that human capital flows are a key driver of clean-technology transfer. The study concludes by outlining three plausible future scenarios—dominated respectively by lithium batteries, by hydrogen, or by their coexistence—and discusses their implications for sustainable innovation and for the long-term evolution of clean transport systems.