A methodology for unveiling global innovation networks: patent citations as clues to cross border knowledge flows

This paper presents a new methodology to describe global innovations networks. Using 167,315 USPTO patents granted in 2009 and the papers they cited, this methodology shows “scientific footprints of technology” that cross national boundaries, and how multinational enterprises interact globally with universities and other firms. The data and the map of these flows provide insights to support a tentative taxonomy of global innovation networks.     

Indicators for measuring the impact of scientific citations in patents

Scientific publications cited in patents are fundamental elements to assess the transfer of science to technology. Numerous studies evaluate the impact of references in patents and scientific publications and various measurement methods and indicators are proposed. This article reviewed the existing literature on the indicators used to date to determine their suitability and effectiveness to evaluate the impact of patent citations. For this purpose, we analyzed the characteristics of the studies examined and proposed a qualitative classification of indicators from both a technological (patents) and scientific-academic (scientific articles) perspective. Among the results we find that the use of scientometric indicators is primarily focused on analyzing their relevance for patents through the inclusion of scientific citations. Conversely, the same is not true from the academic point of view where gaps still persist in terms of what the impact is when scientific articles are cited in patents. Among the key conclusions is the diversity of proposals to measure scientific citations in patents, though these are conditioned on bibliographic standardization and metadata management of the patents themselves, making it possible to quantify aspects similar to the immediacy index, impact index, or h-index for authors/inventors, albeit from a technological dimension.     

Coopetition and innovation in high-tech firms: What we can learn from analysis of the semiconductor industry's patents

This study investigates coopetition among the 16 semiconductor firms that figured among the top 10 by revenue from 2009 to 2019 using patent data obtained from the Derwent World Patents Index™ (DWPI), considering records available for the selected firms published and indexed up to July 26, 2020. Only 1791 (0.17%) records from a total of more than 1.1 million have two or more of these competing firms as assignees (i.e., they are records for joint patents involving these firms), indicating the existence of coopetition in this scenario. These joint patents demonstrate coopetition between firms from different countries and in the main areas in which their patents are classified, indicating that they may coopete in those areas. Furthermore, mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures may influence coopetition and innovation, resulting in joint patents. Finally, a framework that consolidates the main findings is presented to guide future research. We contribute to the coopetition literature with novel inputs. From a managerial perspective, the findings can be used to build strategies to better exploit the potential of patents.     

Analysis of the relationship between citation frequency of patents and diversity of their backward citations for Japanese patents

Conventional patent citation analyses have focused mainly on the presence of citation relationships, the number of patents cited by the subject patent, and the number of times the subject patent is cited by others (i.e., the numbers of backward and forward citations of the subject patent). However, most of them have not focused on patent classifications. Assuming that a patent based on a variety of technological bases tends to be an important patent that is cited more often, this study examines and clarifies the relationship between the diversity of classifications assigned to backward citations and the number of forward citations for Japanese patents. The results show notable differences in the number of classifications assigned to backward citations between the often cited and less frequently cited groups. It is considered that the diversity of backward citations can be utilized in the evaluation criteria for grouping that roughly identifies the often cited patents or eliminates a large part of less frequently cited patents.     

Emerging firms in an emerging field: an analysis of patent citations in electronic-paper display technology

USPTO patent data covering the years 1994–2008 is used in this study to examine the citation networks of electronic-paper display technology. Our primary aim is to provide a better understanding of the ways in which emerging firms interact with, and learn from, technology diffusers. Two implications can be drawn from our analysis. Firstly, emerging firms within an emerging industry can enhance their technological capabilities through positive external learning activity. Secondly, despite the fact that technology diffusers have clear technological advantages, with the emergence of a new field, their influence within the network could potentially be decayed if they fail to remain proactive in terms of the absorption of available external knowledge.     

Knowledge context,learning and innovation: an integrating framework

Abstract

In this conceptual paper, we develop a framework which identifies those elements of firms’ knowledge context which are important for innovation, and the mechanisms through which that knowledge impacts on firms’ innovation performance. We make four main contributions to the existing literature. First, our characterisation of knowledge context provides the basis for a more specific identification of which elements of firms’ knowledge environment are important for innovation, discriminating between spatial, sectoral and network influences. Second, we reflect the role of innovation ambition in shaping firms’ knowledge search strategies. Third, we differentiate between firms’ interactive and non-interactive knowledge search activities and recognise that these may be complemented by unanticipated and serendipitous knowledge spillovers. Finally, we employ the notion of encoding capacity to reflect firms’ internal ability to assimilate and apply external knowledge, and clarify its distinctiveness from the more general concept of absorptive capacity. Our framework provides an integrating mechanism for existing empirical studies, and suggests a number of new research directions related to the determinants of innovation performance and the heterogeneity of innovation outcomes.     

Critical citations in knowledge construction and citation analysis: from paradox to definition

Scientometrics - Critical citations are lacking a common definition in relation to extant research on knowledge construction and citation analysis, whereas studies on these topics seem to provide a...     

Tracing knowledge flows in innovation systems

This paper gives an overview of quantitative approaches used to study the science/technology linkage. Our discussion is informed by a number of theoretical approaches that have emerged over the past few years in the area of innovation studies emphasizing the exchange of actors in innovation system and a shift in the division of labour between publicly funded basic research and industrial development of technology. We review the more quantitative literature on efforts made to study such linkage phenomena, to which theorizing in the science policy area has attributed great importance. We then introduce a typology of three approaches to study the science/technology linkage - patent citation, industrial science, and university patenting. For each approach, we shall discuss merits and possible disadvantages. In another step we illustrate them using results from studies of the Finnish innovation system. Finally, we list key limitations of the informetric methods and point to possible hybrid approaches that could remedy some of them. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Deciphering innovation: An exploration of USPTO patents granted to Iranian inventors

Since nearly a decade ago, Iranian policy circles have declared innovation and development of science-based industries as a priority area. This paper utilizes the emerging Iranian patent stock in the USPTO to ascertain progress on this front. Results indicate that there are policy traces in the emerging patent portfolio as proxied by sponsorship statements in 28% of all patents. However, there is little evidence of technological specialization. Breaking down the portfolio into foreign-assigned, Iranian-assigned, unassigned and Iranian-sponsored patents, indicates that foreign-assigned, followed by Iranian-assigned patents are of higher quality and potential value. Nearly half of the patents are unassigned and 40% are assigned to foreign entities. Lack of ownership assignment can be a hurdle to effective exploitation, defense and maintenance of patents. The analysis is concluded by relevant policy lessons.     

Surveying inventors listed on patents to investigate determinants of innovation

Summary This paper reviews the methods and findings of studies surveying inventors on nationally representative sample of patents or patent applications. These studies show that the most common inventor is a middle-aged man with a postgraduate qualification, with women representing only 0.4% to 3.5% of inventors. They demonstrate that 43% to 68% of granted patents become innovations (52% on average). Despite such findings this body of work has only been cited 61 times in scientific journals. Thus, surveys of inventors provide good insights into the process of commercialising patents and yet are an underutilised method especially within the literature on innovation.     

Science cited in patents: A geographic "flow" analysis of bibliographic citation patterns in patents

The interplay and cross-fertilization between science and technology, but also the specific role of science for technological development, have received ample attention in both the research and the policy communities. It is in this context that the concepts of absorptive capacity and knowledge spillovers play an important role. We operationalize the science-technology link by quantifying and modeling bibliographic references to the scientific literature as they occur in patents. This approach allows exploring the associative patterns between science creation (as emerging from the scientific literature) and technology development (as emerging from the patent literature). In the current paper, we focus on an analysis of the geographic distribution of the science citation patterns in patents, singling out two fields of (different) technological development, namely biotechnology and information technology. In both fields, the science citation flows from the European, Japanese and US science bases into USPTO and EPO-patents are explored and modeled. Intensive geographic citation flows between the regions are identified, pointing (amongst others) to the strength of both the US and the European science bases as sources for technological activity and creativity around the world.     

Using PageRank in the analysis of technological progress through patents: an illustration for biotechnological inventions

This paper examines whether PageRank algorithms are a valid instrument for the analysis of technical progress in specific technological fields by means of patent citation data. It provides evidence for patent data in biotechnology. Recent literature has been critical with regard to the use of PageRank for the analysis of scientific citation networks. The results reported in this paper indicate, however, that with some minor adaptations and careful interpretation of the results the algorithm can be used to capture some important stylised facts of technical progress and the importance of single patents relatively well especially if compared to indicators based on direct inward citations only.     

The private and social value of patents in discrete and cumulative innovation

This article analyzes the relationship between private and social value of patents, comparing discrete and cumulative innovation. Indicators of the social value of patents are known to be less correlated with measures of private value in technological fields where innovation is more cumulative. We test whether this is because the link between private and social value is weaker, or because the indicators are less informative of the underlying concepts of value. Furthermore we analyze whether these differences between technological fields are really due to cumulativeness. We observe cumulative innovation by making use of databases of patents declared essential for technological standards. Using factor analysis and a set of patent quality indicators, we test the relevance of social value for predicting the private value of a patent measured by renewal and litigation. Whereas we establish a robust and significant link for discrete technologies; neither common factors nor any indicator of social value allows predicting the private value of essential, very cumulative patents. Nevertheless, this result cannot be generalized to whole technological classes identified as “complex” by the literature.     

高性能纤维专利发展趋势与创新思路

结合近期赴德考察新能源和复合材料制品,介绍TAO公司独有的创新思路,但重点介绍共性专利技术在各种高性能纤维及复合材料中的应用,以及高性能纤维新品种与新型高性能纤维的专利,由此可看出近期高性能纤维专利的发展趋势.     

Relationship between international collaboration papers and their citations from an economic perspective

This paper analyzes the relationship among international collaboration, number of papers and number of citations from an economic perspective. It analyzes the number of international collaboration papers and their citations according to different international economic collaboration types, the number of countries at different economic levels, and the economic situations of first or corresponding authors. This study analyzes international collaboration papers listed in Web of Science from 2011 to 2015, published in the field of Public, Environmental and Occupational Health. According to different international collaboration types, results show that the subset of international collaboration with the same economic level accounts for the highest percentage, especially the type of H&H, and there are significant differences in average citations among different collaboration types, the type of H&M&L has the highest value (11.21?±?15.72). According to the number of countries at different economic levels, results show that papers published by ≥?3 countries account for the highest percentage most of the time in different collaboration types. In general, there are positive correlations between the number of countries and citations, but there are no significant differences according to the number of low income countries in different types except H&M&L. According to economic situations of first or corresponding authors, results show that papers initiated by high income countries always account for the highest percentage over past 5 years, and there are positive correlations between the economic situations of first or corresponding authors and citations in different types except H&M. (H: high income countries, M: middle income countries, L: low income countries).     

Not all areas are equal: analysis of citations in information security research

Scientometrics - The understanding of the inner workings of a research community is essential to evaluate the impact of an author as well as to decide where and how to publish results. One of the...     

The impact of preprints in Library and Information Science: an analysis of citations,usage and social attention indicators

Scientometrics - The objective of this paper is to explore the impact of preprints in scholarly and broader scientific communication. In particular, the following four indicators are used to...     

Patterns of scientific and technological knowledge flows based on scientific papers and patents

This paper examines how Korean technological development is linked with scientific activities and spreads to industrial fields through knowledge flows. It empirically assesses the linkages between scientific and technological knowledge flows and technological innovation by determining whether the quantity and quality of scientific papers cited by, and the knowledge being absorbed in, Korean patents filed in USPTO varied over time, and between technology fields. We conducted MANOVA and then canonical discriminate analysis. Our findings are: the patterns of both the absorption of scientific knowledge and the diffusion of technological knowledge differ by period and by field, and the speed of knowledge diffusion differs by technology field. This implies that the time required for Korean investment in basic and applied research to impact her industrial innovation differs by technology field.     

Multi-cross-industry innovation patents in the USA - A combination of PATSTAT and Orbis search

Knowledge and technologies from different fields will undoubtedly be combined in order to develop the products of the future. Remarkable examples thereof can already be found in the fields of interconnected „smart“ products and natural care products. Few companies have access to the entire range of available knowledge; most are required to obtain this knowledge from other companies or research institutes. One way to acquire the requisite knowledge is through co-operation. When at least three companies from different industries are cooperating for this purpose, we speak of multi-cross-industry innovation. This kind of innovation is reflected in many cases of patenting. For a deeper understanding, we identify multi-cross-industry innovation patents in the leading market of the USA, using a combined search on PATSTAT and Orbis in the period from 1980 to 2015. We apply a time series analysis, an applicant analysis, a priority country analysis, an analysis of co-operation structure, and an analysis of the application domains to the data. Our results show an increase in the occurrence of multi-cross-industry innovation patents. The major players involved in this are Japanese companies, which apply for nearly 90% of all multi-cross-industry innovation patents. Multi-cross-industry innovation covers a broad range of application domains, from electronics to material sciences.