5. Shadow Battlegrounds: Standards and Alliances
Patent Walls: Top players hold 50x more core patents in fields like magnetic bearings and hydrogen seals.
Ecosystem Lock-In: Atlas’ "Smart Pneumatic Alliance" with Siemens and Schneider deepens PLC/SCADA integration, raising switching costs.
SME Opportunities: Dominate niche standards (e.g., "micro-oil-mist control certification" for lithium battery production) or partner with universities on specialty materials.