Category Archives: ST&I indicators

Tech Mining to Generate Indicators of Future National Technological Competitiveness: Nano-enhanced Drug Delivery (NEDD) in the US and China

Future-oriented technology analysis, Research Examples, Research profiling, ST&I indicators,

“Global technological competitiveness” is widely acknowledged, but the challenge is to go beyond this recognition to develop empirical indicators of important transitions. These may concern particular technologies, the competitive position of particular organizations, or national/regional shifts. For decades, the US has been the world leader in biomedical technologies, with attendant implications for organizational priorities in terms of R&D location and market targeting. Recent years have seen a tremendous acceleration in Asian research in most domains, including biomedical, particularly visible in China. This paper investigates comparative patterns between the US and China in a promising emerging area of biotechnology — Nano-Enhanced Drug Delivery. It then explores indicators of, and implications for, future transitions at the national level — an approach we label “Forecasting Innovation Pathways.” http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162514000900 Highlights

  • Tech mining generates indicators for future national technological competitiveness.
  • The case is a promising emerging area of biotechnology — Nano-Enhanced Drug Delivery.
  • We investigate comparative patterns between the US and China.
  • Results can provide insight into the approach of “Forecasting Innovation Pathways.”

Author(s): Ying Guo, Xiao Zhou, Alan L. Porter, and Douglas K.R. Robinson Organization(s): Beijing Instititute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Université de Paris-Est Source: Technological Forecasting & Social Change Year: 2015

Mining research trends with anomaly detection models: the case of social computing research

Research Examples, Research Type, ST&I indicators, ST&I policy, Strategic planning

We proposed in this study to use anomaly detection models to discover research trends. The application was illustrated by applying a rule-based anomaly detector (WSARE), which was typically used for biosurveillance purpose, in the research trend analysis in social computing research. Based on articles collected from SCI-EXPANDED and CPCI-S databases during 2000 to 2013, we found that the number of social computing studies went up significantly in the past decade, with computer science and engineering among the top important subjects. Followed by China, USA was the largest contributor for studies in this field. According to anomaly detected by the WSARE, social computing research gradually shifted from its traditional fields such as computer science and engineering, to the fields of medical and health, and communication, etc. There was an emerging of various new subjects in recent years, including sentimental analysis, crowdsourcing and e-health. We applied an interdisciplinary network evolution analysis to track changes in interdisciplinary collaboration, and found that most subject categories closely collaborate with subjects of computer science and engineering. Our study revealed that, anomaly detection models had high potentials in mining hidden research trends and may provided useful tools in the study of forecasting in other fields.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11192-015-1559-9

Author(s): Qing Cheng, Xin Lu, Zhong Liu, Jincai Huang
Organization(s): National University of Defense Technology
Source: Scientometrics
Year: 2015

The global intellectual property landscape of induced pluripotent stem cell technologies

Data Type, Patents, Research Examples, Research profiling, ST&I indicators, ST&I policy

Will freedom to research and innovate be restricted as the induced pluripotent stem cell field advances toward the clinic, or are concerns premature within a rapidly changing ecosystem?

Intellectual property (IP) rights lie at the core of the commercialization process, serving as a powerful incentive to harness the potential of technologies for therapeutic applications. However, when filed inappropriately—with broad or premature claims, for example—or when mismanaged, patents can obstruct vital precompetitive collaborations, dampen investor interest and threaten clinical translation and patient access. Moreover, uncertainties, including those around the validity of claims or the priority of ownership rights, can depress progress.

Although the total number of stem cell patent filings has declined since 2008, patents for iPSC technologies continue to increase8. Analysis of the blistering pace of scientific progress in this area indicates that the growth is unlikely to abate. Widespread concern has been voiced that the emerging ecosystem is becoming burdened by prohibitive and cumulative licensing fees that could restrict scientists’ freedom to research and patients’ equitable access to resulting medical benefits. Although these concerns may be allayed through innovation and industry growth cycles, the upstream production and downstream differentiation of iPSCs into desired cell lineages for application requires numerous interrelated, complex technologies. This distinguishes cellular patents from the evolution of other highly patented industries such as small-molecule drugs and electronics. No single company currently controls the IP for all techniques, methods and reagents required for the production of iPSCs. A global race is underway to establish the most suitable and efficient methods for each of these component technologies.

Author(s): MacKenna Roberts, Ivan B Wall, Ian Bingham, Dominic Icely, Brock Reeve, Kim Bure, Anna French and David A Brindley
Organization(s): Oxford–University College London Centre for the Advancement of Sustainable Medical Innovation, University of Oxford
Source: Nature Biotechnology
Year: 2014

http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v32/n8/full/nbt.2975.html

Digging for gold with a simple tool: Validating text mining in studying electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication

Data Type, novel source, Research Examples, Research Type, ST&I indicators, Strategic planning, Tech mining

Text-based electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication has increasingly become an important channel for consumers to exchange information about products and services. How to effectively utilize the enormous amount of text information poses a great challenge to marketing researchers and practitioners. This study takes an initial step to investigate the validities and usefulness of text mining, a promising approach in generating valuable information from eWOM communication. Bilateral data were collected from both eWOM senders and readers via two web-based surveys. Results provide initial evidence for the validity and utility of text mining and demonstrate that the linguistic indicators generated by text analysis are predictive of eWOM communicators’ attitudes toward a product or service. Text analysis indicators (e.g., Negations and Money) can explain additional variance in eWOM communicators’ attitudes above and beyond the star ratings and may become a promising supplement to the widely used star ratings as indicators of eWOM valence.

Author(s): Chuanyi Tang and Lin Guo
Organization(s): Old Dominion University and University of New Hampshire
Source: Marketing Letters
Year: 2013

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11002-013-9268-8

The Contribution of Information Science through Intellectual Property to Innovation in the Brazilian Health Sector

Research Examples, Research Type, ST&I indicators, ST&I policy, Strategic planning

In response to the challenges of the 21st century, emerging countries have played an increasingly leading role in the global economy, and public health has been a notable feature of the government agendas in these countries. According to the IMF, Brazil is one of the countries with the greatest potential to stand out in this context. The quantity of research and development into technologies for drugs and medications is important for supporting innovation in the health sector. Information science can therefore help considerably in the analysis of patents, indicating trends, revealing opportunities for investors, and assisting the decision-taking process by private sector managers and government agents. This study is based on the extraction of valuable information contained in the hidden Web through technology foresight of products deemed strategic by the Brazilian Ministry of Heath, which are the target of public policies and investments by the state for domestic production.

Author(s): Adelaide Maria de Souza Antunes, Suzanne de Oliveira Rodrigues Schumacher, Flavia Maria Lins Mendes, Luc Quoniam, and Jorge Lima de Magalhães
Organization(s): National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI),
Brazil & Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
(UFRJ), Aix-Marseille Université
Source: Rethinking the conceptual base for new practical applications in information value and quality (IGI Book series Advances in Information Quality and Management)
Year: 2014

http://vpinstitute.org/the-contribution-of-information-science-through-intellectual-property-to-innovation-in-the-brazilian-health-sector/

A patento-scientometric approach to venture capital investment prioritization

Data Type, Patents, Research Examples, Research Type, ST&I indicators

This paper proposes an approach to analyzing and prioritizing venture capital investments with the use of scientometric and patentometric indicators. The article highlights the importance of such investments in the development of technology-based companies and their positive impacts on the economic development of regions and countries. It also notes that the managers of venture capital funds struggle to objectify the evaluation of investment proposals. This paper analyzes the selection process of 10 companies, five of which received investments by the largest venture capital fund in Brazil and the other five of which were rejected by this same fund. We formulated scientometric and patentometric indicators related to each company and conducted a comparative analysis of each by considering the indicators grouped by the nonfinancial criteria (technology, market, and divestiture team) from analysis of the investment proposals. The proposed approach clarifies aspects of the criteria evaluated and contributes to the construction of a method for prioritizing venture capital investments.

Author(s): Gustavo da Silva Motta, Pauli Adriano de Almada Garcia, and Rogério Hermida Quintella
Organization(s): Universidade Federal da Bahia
Source: Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology
Year: 2014

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/asi.23205/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false

Graphene: The Worldwide Patent Landscape in 2013

Patents, Research Examples, Research profiling, ST&I indicators,

In 2011 the Patent Informatics team at the Intellectual Property Office analysed patenting activity relating to graphene following a noticeable increase in the number of graphene-related patent applications filed in the UK. Since then the activity in this area has continued to grow in a seemingly exponential manner, as has the media hype surrounding it. Given the perceived imminent commercialisation and high profile nature of graphene and its apparent interest to scientists, technologists and policy-makers alike, an updated report has been produced looking at the worldwide graphene patent landscape in 2013 and how it has changed over the last couple of years. Continue reading Graphene: The Worldwide Patent Landscape in 2013 →

The Role of the National Science Foundation in the Origin and Evolution of Additive Manufacturing in the United States

Research evaluation, Research Examples, Research profiling, Research Type, ST&I indicators, ST&I policy,

Additive manufacturing (AM) is growing rapidly as a field of research, as well as an emerging technology with the potential to revolutionize manufacturing. Firms in the United States are a dominant player in the field, selling over 70% of the professional grade
machines to date. This is a fitting time to look at the evolution of the field with a critical eye toward determining the roles of various institutions—public funders, private entrepreneurs and inventors, universities, and others—in its development. Continue reading The Role of the National Science Foundation in the Origin and Evolution of Additive Manufacturing in the United States →

Collaborative networks and technology clusters — The case of nanowire

Network analysis, Research Type, ST&I indicators,

Patenting activities and technology diffusion in high-tech sectors are being increasingly driven by collaborative, international and technology-based new entrants. In the realm of nanotechnology, one of the most mature structures is nanowire. This paper is concerned with the technology transfer process in the nanowire field; in particular it examines how patent collaborations occur and how the key actors interact with each other to support this process. Continue reading Collaborative networks and technology clusters — The case of nanowire →

Facilitating social and natural science cross-disciplinarity: Assessing the human and social dynamics program

Interdisciplinarity, Network analysis, Research profiling, Research Type, Science mapping, ST&I indicators

Research that integrates the social and natural sciences is vital to address many societal challenges, yet is difficult to arrange, conduct, and disseminate. This article analyses the cross-disciplinary character of the research supported by a unique US National Science Foundation program on Human and Social Dynamics (HSD). Continue reading Facilitating social and natural science cross-disciplinarity: Assessing the human and social dynamics program →