Category Archives: Research Type

Collaboration in science and technology organizations of the public sector: A network perspective

Network analysis, Research Examples, Research Type

Engaging in collaborative networks can be an important facilitator of innovation for public sector science and technology (S&T) organizations. It is also an important component of S&T policies that require indicators that can assess the networks through which these organizations innovate. In this study, we apply network indicators to two S&T organizations that are part of the Brazilian public health sector. The indicators cover two complementary perspectives: one that considers the organizations’ scientific networks and the other that considers their technological networks. The indicators allowed the analysis of the networks in which the organizations were engaged and the understanding of important aspects of their collaboration patterns that can support strategic decisions. The method employed in this paper proved to be a valuable diagnostic tool and a useful mechanism for evaluating the performance and supporting the development of S&T institutions.

http://spp.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/04/25/scipol.scw013.abstract

Author(s): Bruna P. F. Fonseca, Elton Fernandes and Marcus V. A. Fonseca
Organization(s): Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, (Fiocruz)
Source: Science and Public Policy
Year: 2016

Research topics and implementation trends on automotive head-up display systems

CTI, Research Examples, Research Type

For about 5 years, production of automobiles equipped with head-up display (HUD) systems has continuously grown and this trend will remain for at least three years more from 2014 [7, 19]. Therefore, looking for clarifying how to orientate future efforts in developing these systems, a systematic analysis approach has been implemented for identifying best design practises, common characteristics, gaps, implementation trends and research topics on automotive HUD systems. The proposed approach is conducted on two areas, firstly exploring the current scientific literature to find the most relevant research topics and understanding how these are evolving. Secondly, a competitive intelligence analysis was conducted compiling patents related to automotive HUD systems. This analysis was specially oriented towards determining, currently and in the near future, basic product design implementation trends in automotive HUD systems. Finally, the results obtained from both scientific and technological points of view were compared and commented, looking for determining common, converging or diverging, evolution parameters in automotive HUD systems. In this way, the results exposed the distraction as an outstanding research topic for these systems, becoming even more crucial if they are mixed with augmented reality projections, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) or infotainment systems.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12008-016-0350-3

Author(s): J. Alejandro Betancur, Jesús Villa-Espinal, Gilberto Osorio-Gómez, Sergio Cuéllar, Daniel Suárez
Organization(s): Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Universidad EAFIT
Source: International Journal on Interactive Design and Manufacturing (IJIDeM)
Year: 2016

A bibliometric analysis of the development of next generation active nanotechnologies

Research Examples, Research profiling, Research Type

Delineating the emergence of nanotechnologies that offer new functionalities is an important element in an anticipatory approach to the governance of nanotechnology and its potential impacts. This paper examines the transition to next generation active nanotechnologies which incorporate functions that respond to the environment or systems concepts that combine devices and structures that are dynamic and which may change their states in use. We develop an approach to identifying these active nanotechnologies and then use bibliometric analysis to examine the extent of research papers and patents involving these concepts. We also examine references to environmental, health, and safety concepts in these papers, given that these next generation nanotechnologies are likely to have risk profiles that are different from those of first-generation passive nanomaterials. Our results show a steady growth overall in focus on active nanotechnologies in the research literature and in patents over the study period of 1990–2010. We also find an increase in consideration given to environmental, health, and safety topics. While gaps are highlighted in our understanding of research and innovation in active nanotechnologies, the results suggest that there is beginning to be a shift to active nanotechnologies, with the implication that governance processes need to be conscious of this shift and to prepare for it.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11051-016-3578-8

Author(s): Arho Suominen, Yin Li, Jan Youtie, Philip Shapira
Organization(s): Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Manchester, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
Source: Journal of Nanoparticle Research
Year: 2016

Lessons from Ten Years of Nanotechnology Bibliometric Analysis

Interdisciplinarity, Network analysis, Research evaluation, Research profiling, Research Type

This paper summarizes the 10-year experiences of the Program in Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (STIP) at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in support of the Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University (CNS-ASU) in understanding, characterizing, and conveying the development of nanotechnology research and application. This work was labeled “Research and Innovation Systems Assessment” or (RISA) by CNS-ASU.

RISA concentrates on identifying and documenting quantifiable aspects of nanotechnology, including academic, commercial/industrial, and government nanoscience and nanotechnology (nanotechnologies) activity, research, and projects. RISA at CNS-ASU engaged in the first systematic attempt of its kind to define, characterize, and track a field of science and technology. A key element to RISA was the creation of a replicable approach to bibliometrically defining nanotechnology. Researchers in STIP, and beyond, could then query the resulting datasets to address topical areas ranging from basic country and regional concentrations of publications and patents, to findings about social science literature, environmental, health, and safety research and usage, to study corporate entry into nanotechnology, and to explore application areas as special interests arose. Key features of the success of the program include:

  • Having access to “large-scale” R&D abstract datasets
  • Analytical software
  • A portfolio that balances innovative long-term projects, such as webscraping to understand nanotechnology developments in small and medium-sized companies, with research characterizing the emergence of nanotechnology that more readily produces articles
  • Relationships with diverse networks of scholars and companies working in the nanotechnology science and social science domains
  • An influx of visiting researchers
  • A strong core of students with social science, as well as some programming background
  • A well-equipped facility and management by the principals through weekly problem-solving meetings, mini-deadlines, and the production journal articles rather than thick final reports.

https://smartech.gatech.edu/handle/1853/55931?show=full

Author(s): Jan Youtie, Alan Porter, Philip Shapira, Nils Newman
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology
Source: OECD Blue Sky Forum on Science and Innovation Indicators
Year: 2016

A bibliometric analysis of 50 years of worldwide research on statistical process control

Research Examples, Research profiling

An increasing number of papers on statistical process control (SPC) has emerged in the last fifty years, especially in the last fifteen years. This may be attributed to the increased global competitiveness generated by innovation and the continuous improvement of products and processes. In this sense, SPC has a fundamentally important role in quality and production systems. The research in this paper considers the context of technological improvement and innovation of products and processes to increase corporate competitiveness. There are several other statistical technics and tools for assisting continuous improvement and innovation of products and processes but, despite the limitations in their use in the improvement projects, there is growing concern about the use of SPC. A gap between the SPC technics taught in engineering courses and their practical applications to industrial problems is observed in empirical research; thus, it is important to understand what has been done and identify the trends in SPC research. The bibliometric study in this paper is proposed in this direction and uses the Web of Science (WoS) database. Data analysis indicates that there was a growth rate of more than 90% in the number of publications on SPC after 1990. Our results reveal the countries where these publications have come from, the authors with the highest number of papers and their networks. Main sources of publications are also identified; it is observed that the publications of SPC papers are concentrated in some of the international research journals, not necessarily those with the major high-impact factors. Furthermore, the papers are focused on industrial engineering, operations research and management science fields. The most common term found in the papers was cumulative sum control charts, but new topics have emerged and have been researched in the past ten years, such as multivariate methods for process monitoring and nonparametric methods.

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0104-530X2016005013101&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en

Author(s): Fabiane Letícia Lizarelli, Nayara Cristini Bessi, Pedro Carlos Oprime , Roniberto Morato do Amaral, Subhabrata Chakraborti
Organization(s): Universidade Federal de São Carlos – UFSCar
Source: Gestão & Produção
Year: 2016

Case study of patents related to captopril, Squibb’s first blockbuster

Patents, Research Examples, Research profiling

Arterial hypertension affects over one billion people around the world, making the prevention and treatment of this disease vital. Despite the efforts made to develop new antihypertensive drugs, few new therapies have become available. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have heralded major steps forward in the treatment of arterial hypertension and cardiovascular diseases since the first compound of this class, captopril, was approved for clinical use in 1981.

In this review, the authors investigated the patent documents that cite the priority patent for captopril, Squibb’s first blockbuster, or any other patent from its patent family. The documents were classified into the following: new compounds, new compositions, treatment, process (preparation of a compound), use of a compound, and process for the preparation of an intermediate. Therefore, the readers can identify potential innovations in the field.

The pharmaceutical sector has attempted to provide significant technological developments on anti-hypertensive drugs based on the patenting of captopril, including the development of new compositions further comprising an ACE inhibitor and other antihypertensive agent, along with dual action compounds, novel molecules with dual activity. The target is to find a new agent with better blood pressure-lowering efficacy, improved safety and good tolerability profile.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13543776.2016.1227321

Author(s): Adelaide Maria de Souza Antunes, Rafaela Di Sabato Guerrante, Jorge de Paula Costa Ávila, Flavia Maria Lins Mendes
Organization(s): Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)/National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI-Brazil)
Source: Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents
Year: 2016

Xylose utilization in ethanol production: a patent landscape

Patents, Research Examples, Research profiling

Bioethanol is considered as one of the best alternatives to fossil fuels as unwanted biomass is converted into fuel ethanol. As there is increasing demand for fuel ethanol, researchers have started looking for some better ways to produce ethanol. In light of the present scenario, we have attempted to develop a global patent landscape view of xylose utilization in ethanol production. Our country-specific patent analysis has revealed that most of the research on xylose-utilizing ethanol production is carried out in the USA followed by China and Sweden. Moreover, it has been found that more patent applications/grants have been claimed for processes, followed by recombinant strains. Patent publication trends for genes and enzymes have shown that most of the research is focused on the xylA gene and xylulokinase. Assignee patenting trends suggest that Du Pont is the major player in xylose-utilizing ethanol production research. Additionally, analysis based on micro-organisms used in xylose-utilizing ethanol production revealed that most of the research has been performed using Saccharomyces cerevisiae to enhance the ethanol yields.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bbb.1664/full

Author(s): Pratap Devarapalli, Nishad Deshpande, Rajkumar R Hirwani
Organization(s): CSIR-Unit for Research and Development of Information Products
Source: Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining
Year: 2016

Intangible Heritage and Gastronomy: The Impact of UNESCO Gastronomy Elements

Network analysis, Research Examples, Strategic planning

The objective of this study is two-fold: on the one hand, to determine whether literature has studied the relationship between intangible heritage and gastronomy; on the other, we have explored the use of UNESCO-recognized elements for marketing purposes. Two research questions have been addressed: (a) Is there a specific definition of gastronomy as intangible heritage? and (b) can the UNESCO-recognized elements be used for marketing purposes? We have used a method that combines content analysis and network analysis via the identification and study of keywords. The results showed a definition of gastronomy as intangible world heritage would be required. We have also observed that the use of the UNESCO-recognized elements, for marketing purposes, could be an opportunity for differentiating place’s identity.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15428052.2015.1129008

Author(s): María de Miguel Molina, Blanca de Miguel Molina, Virginia Santamarina Campos, María del Val Segarra Oña
Organization: Universitat Politecnica de Valencia
Source: Journal of Culinary Science & Technology
Year: 2016

A methodology for technology trend monitoring: the case of semantic technologies

Future-oriented technology analysis, Research Examples

This paper introduces a systematic technology trend monitoring (TTM) methodology based on an analysis of bibliometric data. Among the key premises for developing a methodology are: (1) the increasing number of data sources addressing different phases of the STI development, and thus requiring a more holistic and integrated analysis; (2) the need for more customized clustering approaches particularly for the purpose of identifying trends; and (3) augmenting the policy impact of trends through gathering future-oriented intelligence on emerging developments and potential disruptive changes. Thus, the TTM methodology developed combines and jointly analyzes different datasets to gain intelligence to cover different phases of the technological evolution starting from the ‘emergence’ of a technology towards ‘supporting’ and ‘solution’ applications and more ‘practical’ business and market-oriented uses. Furthermore, the study presents a new algorithm for data clustering in order to overcome the weaknesses of readily available clusterization tools for the purpose of identifying technology trends. The present study places the TTM activities into a wider policy context to make use of the outcomes for the purpose of Science, Technology and Innovation policy formulation, and R&D strategy making processes. The methodology developed is demonstrated in the domain of “semantic technologies”.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11192-016-2024-0

Author(s): Oleg Ena, Nadezhda Mikova, Ozcan Saritas, Anna Sokolova
Organization(s): National Research University Higher School of Economics
Source: Scientometrics
Year: 2016

Inequalities in scholarly knowledge: Public value failures and their impact on global science

Network analysis, Research Examples

There is a growing body of literature that acknowledges the overall trends in publication patterns in the least economically advantaged countries. The pattern shows that there are disparities between the Global North and Global South with regard to indexed publication output. Few studies, however, empirically assess the impact that this systematic disparity has on global scientific knowledge. This paper examines this systematic disparity by (1) analysing the co-authorship patterns of the least economically advantaged countries using bibliometric analysis of the Web of Science ISI database, and (2) applying the public-value failure mapping tool to identify potential failures in the scientific scholarship. Our analysis provides strong evidence of public value failures in global scholarly publication output. The paper contributes to the science policy and public value failure literatures using novel theoretical and methodological approaches to explore issues of equity and inequality in global science.

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/20421338.2016.1147204

Author(s): Thema Monroe-White and Thomas S. Woodson
Organization(s): Stony Brook University
Source: African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development
Year: 2016