New report explores how innovation, regulation, and IP strategy are shaping the future of autonomous mobility. NEW YORK, April 2, 2026 /CNW/ -- Global consulting firm J.S. Held today announced the release of its 2026 Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Industry Report. Developed by Ocean Tomo, a part of J.S. Held, the report offers a comprehensive analysis of the evolving AV landscape through the lens of innovation, investment, and intellectual property (IP). "Despite extended deployment timelines, the economic opportunity in autonomous vehicles remains transformative," said Dan Principe, Director and Chair of the Industry Analyst Review Committee at Ocean Tomo. "What we're seeing now is a shift from pure R&D to commercialization, where IP strategy is no longer optional--it's existential." The report reveals that while early forecasts predicted widespread Level 3+ AV deployment by the mid-2020s, the market is now expected to center around L2+ vehicles by 2035. Yet, the global AV market is still projected to grow from $24 billion in 2021 to $62 billion in 2026, with passenger vehicles alone forecasted to generate $300–400 billion in revenue by 2035. Tatiana Feka, Industry Analyst at Ocean Tomo, emphasized the strategic importance of IP in this maturing sector: "The industry is moving past its initial life cycle stage. Between 2022–2024, we saw the first decrease in total innovation filings, signifying market maturation and a shift from pure R&D to commercialization strategies. This makes IP positioning even more critical." The report also highlights the growing complexity of the legal landscape, with cross-industry IP conflicts expected to rise as AV systems increasingly integrate telecom, cloud, AI, and mobility technologies. Companies are adopting more proactive legal strategies, including pre-emptive patent filings and trade secret protections, to safeguard their innovations. "As both established players and new entrants deepen their AV technology investments, trade secret enforcement has become