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Patent analysis for promoting technology transfer in multi-technology industries: the Korean aerospace industry case

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Abstract

With the increasing importance of technology, the efficiency of R&D investment is becoming a critical factor to an organisation’s success. As a result, many studies have carried out to create useful information to support various decision-makings faced during R&D planning but few efforts were made to discuss technology transferability in creating the information. Technology transferability can be an important factor to increase the efficiency of R&D investment especially in a multi-technology industry, where a compound of several industries produces a variety of components and systems. Therefore, this study purposes to develop a systematic method to analyse the transferability of technology, aiming to facilitate R&D spill-over. For the purpose of analysis, patent data from USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) was adopted and patent citation analysis applied, which shows the relationship between technologies and industries as quantitative measures. The research result then was applied to Korean aerospace industry and its utility verified. The suggested method is expected to be used in understanding technology characteristics and making the most use of R&D outputs by promoting technology transfer in multi-technology industries.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MEST) (No. 2009-0085757).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Engineering, School of Engineering, Seoul National University, San 56-1, Shillim-Dong, Kwanak-Gu, Seoul, 151-742, South Korea

    Yongtae Park & Sora Lee

  2. Department of Industrial and Information Systems Engineering, School of Engineering, Ajou University, San 5, Woncheon-Dong, Yeongtong-Gu, Suwon-si, Kyungki-do, 443-749, South Korea

    Sungjoo Lee

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  1. Yongtae Park
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Correspondence to Sungjoo Lee.

Appendices

Appendix 1 The number of patents analysed in this research

See Table 5.

Table 5 The numbers of patent applications for 55 technologies
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Appendix 2 Industries and relevant patents

See Table 6.

Table 6 Korean National Standard Science and Technology Classification Industry Codes
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Appendix 3 Concordance matrix

See Table 7.

Table 7 Concordance matrix between industries and USPCs
Full size table

Appendix 4 Principles adopted in developing the concordance matrix

Patent classes denoted by the USPC codes are assigned to their relevant industry in the following four steps.

4.1 Step 1

Where the title of a certain USPC class is directed related to a certain industry, the class is assigned to the industry. For example, since the title of Class 105 (Railway Rolling Stock) is directly related to the I02 (Ground Transportation Machinery Industry), Class 105 is assigned to Industry I02.

4.2 Step 2

For USPC classes not classified at Step 1, if the description of a specific USPC class includes equipment and technologies related to a specific industry, the class is assigned to that industry. Where a class is related to several industries, it is assigned to the industry with the highest number of relationships. For example, the Class 188 (Brakes) corresponds to both the Industry I02 (Ground Transportation Machinery Industry) and the Industry I04 (Industrial · general Machinery Industry) but as its description mostly specifies equipment and technologies related to Industry I02, Class 188 is assigned to Industry I02.

Definition of Class 188: This class includes means for retarding the motion of or stopping machines, including vehicles, both rail and road, and shafts, wheels, pulleys, or other moving mechanisms, by friction, by positive engagement of elements, or by the internal resistance of a fluid or a field of force. Citations from other classes indicating the limits of this class will be found under the various subclass definitions.

Definition of Class 188: This class includes means for retarding the motion of or stopping machines, including vehicles, both rail and road, and shafts, wheels, pulleys, or other moving mechanisms, by friction, by positive engagement of elements, or by the internal resistance of a fluid or a field of force. Citations from other classes indicating the limits of this class will be found under the various subclass definitions.

4.3 Step 3

For USPC classes not classified at Steps 1 or 2, where most sub-classes of a specific class are directly related to a certain industry, the class is assigned to that industry. For example, the title of Class 235 (Registers) is not directly related to Industry I04 (Industrial · general Machinery Industry), and the description of Class 235 does not include equipment and technologies related to Industry I02 either, but as the majority of the titles of the sub-clauses in Class 235 are connected in some way to equipment and technologies related to Industry I02, the class is assigned to that industry.

4.4 Step 4

USPC classes not classified in these three steps are assigned to “Others”. For example, as Class 005 (Beds) is not classified to any industry even after Steps 1, 2 and 3, it is assigned to “Others”.

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Park, Y., Lee, S. & Lee, S. Patent analysis for promoting technology transfer in multi-technology industries: the Korean aerospace industry case. J Technol Transf 37, 355–374 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-010-9181-8

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