All posts by VPInstitute

Patent overlay maps: Spain and the Basque Country

Research Examples, Science mapping

This study uses the new global patent map developed by Kay et al. (2014) to reflect the patenting activity of Spain together with the activity of the Basque Country, a highly industrialised region in Spain, for the time interval 2000-2006. The global patent map reflects the technology categories where a patent could be categorised according to the international patent classification (IPC) system, in addition to the degree of similarity among different IPCs, determined by using the citing-to-cited relationships as bonds between categories. An overlay method has been developed to compare, on the one hand, the patenting activity in Spain and the Basque Country and a display of the most important technology sectors and; on the other, the selection of a technology sector and an analysis of technology transfer in both regions through different IPCs to compare them and determine the possible technological sources remaining for development.

http://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/abs/10.1504/IJTM.2015.072976

Author(s): Javier Gavilanes-Trapote, Rosa María Río-Belver, Ernesto Cilleruelo, Gaizka Garechana, Jaso Larruscain
Organization(s): University of the Basque Country
Source: International Journal of Technology Management
Year: 2015

Biodiesel in Brazil: science, technology and innovation indicators

Research Examples, Research profiling, ST&I policy

The world leader in the production and consumption of ethanol from sugar cane, Brazil has been conducting research in biodiesel for years including patents registered in the 80s. In 2005, biodiesel was incorporated into the Brazilian energy matrix. This article presents the biodiesel in Brazil, linking it to the policy of Science, Technology & Innovation (STI) in the country and their transformations in recent decades, highlighting the National Program for Production and Use of Biodiesel (PNPB). Through the techniques of text mining, it presents indicators on science, technology, and innovation of biodiesel in Brazil.

http://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/abs/10.1504/IJTM.2015.072984

Author(s): Angela Machado Rocha, Cristina Maria Quintella, Ednildo Andrade, and Marcelo Santana Silva
Organization(s): Federal University of Bahia (UFBA)
Source: International Journal of Technology Management
Year: 2015

Advancing the forecasting innovation pathways approach: hybrid and electric vehicles case

Future-oriented technology analysis, Research Examples

The forecasting innovation pathways (FIP) approach combines empirical tech mining with expert opinion. To date, FIP has been devised for relatively immature emerging technologies. This study extends the FIP methodology to work for a more advanced and complicated technology. It does so through a case analysis of hybrid and electric vehicles (HEVs). We retain the ten-step FIP process, augmenting several steps to deal with this more complex technology and technology delivery system (TDS). In particular, it is vital to address TDS sub-systems and attendant technical and market infrastructures. The key method to explore future prospects for the technology in question is an interactive workshop. Splitting into multiple workshop sub-groups proved constructive in addressing target markets and regional variations in innovation systems and policy options. The paper derives methodological suggestions to enrich FIP to address more complex technologies regarding scoping, sub-systems analyses, and ways to systematise key operations.

http://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/abs/10.1504/IJTM.2015.072975

Author(s): Alan L. Porter, Scott W. Cunningham, Alejandro Sanz
Organization(s): Georgia Tech, Delft University of Technology
Source: International Journal of Technology Management
Year: 2015

Some Latin American Plants Promising for the Cosmetic, Perfume and Flavor Industries

Research Examples, Research profiling, Tech mining

Medicinal plants have been used in the prevention, diagnosis, and elimination of diseases based on the practical experience of thousands of years. There is a pressing need to initiate and transform laboratory research into fruitful formulations leading to the development of newer products for the cure of diseases such as AIDS, cancer, and hepatitis, as well as coping with multi-drug resistance problems. This book presents recent developments in the research on medicinal plants for different diseases, formulation of products, and market strategy.

This chapter discusses the potential of a group of Latin American plants in applications in the cosmetic, perfume, and flavor industries. It is organized in six parts: 1) text mining of scientific literature for plants, applications, and countries, 2) botanical description of the species, 3) chemical and biological aspects. 4) exploitation and sustainability of natural resources, 5) development of patents, and 6) formulations and applications.

Author(s): Amner Muñoz Acevedo, Erika A. Torres, Ricardo G. Gutierrez, Sandra B. Coles, Martha Cervantes-Diaz, and Geovanna Tafurt-Garcia
Organization(s): Universidad del Norte, Universidad Santo Tomás, Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Source: Therapeutic Medicinal Plants: From Lab to Market, CRC Press, 2016
https://www.crcpress.com/Therapeutic-Medicinal-Plants-From-Lab-to-the-Market/Duarte-Rai/9781482254037
Year: 2016

One-click Patent Analysis using VantagePoint script and Excel template

VP Macros

In 2015 the patent informatics team at the UK-IPO were asked by the Government to produce patent analysis on over 45 different technology areas of interest to policy advisors. With a four-week deadline, such large volume patent analysis required a rethink in the way we produce analysis. The team have previously experimented with creating a number of VantagePoint scripts to help speed up specific steps within our processes for patent analysis but this project required a major step-change in how we use VantagePoint; a ‘one-click’ patent analysis that takes raw imported patent data and automates the creation of lists, applies thesauri, creates time-sliced subsets and populates a spreadsheet. It would have been impossible to deliver this work on time without automation.

The script expects the following fields to be present:

  • Patent assignees
  • Inventors
  • Publication country
  • Applicant country
  • Inventor Country
  • Priority country
  • IPC codes
  • Publication year
  • Priority year
  • Publication number

The script was generally used with datasets having many thousands of results, over a time spread of ten years. When run, you will need to select fields and enter how many results to show. You will also be prompted to save the files generated by the script when creating subsets.

The Excel template has named ranges programmed in. They are dynamic ranges which accept columns of any length, and the charts will automatically select the entire range.

Steps for use:

  • Download the script file
    PKautoreport2020.vpm
    and Excel file template_workbook.xlsx
    and save into Macros folder
  • Amend lines 197, 211, and 229 to have the correct path and filename for the thesauruses and Excel file on your computer.

It should then be ready to use. It will generate three excel files with a number of charts and tables in them.