Patent Informatics

Reports

Reports are accessed and used subject to Crown copyright.

Graphene (4.4Mb)

In 2011 the Informatics Team produced a report on the graphene patent landscape. Given the high-profile interest of this material 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 two years.

March 2013

3D Television (1.55Mb)

It is predicted that by 2014 close to half of all UK households will own a 3DTV. The patent data shows that all the major consumer electronics brands are investing heavily in 3DTV research and development, with patent publications increasing by 350% between 2009 and 2012.

October 2012

Stem Cells (1.99Mb)

The UK National Stem Cell Network provided the stem cell community with regular digests of both published patent applications and granted patents in the field of stem cells.

This report provides an updated patent landscape overview for the period 1 November 2008 - 31 October 2011 with a detailed focus on the current patent landscape and the changes in stem cell patenting over the last two years.

October 2012

Agrifood (5.61Mb)

Agrifood includes agriculture, horticulture, and food and drink processing technologies. The relative specialisation index (RSI) was used to rank countries according to their degree of specialisation in agrifood. New Zealand, Russia, Hungary, Denmark, and Argentina lead according to the RSI. The UK shows the expected level of patenting according to this measure.

August 2012

Patent thickets (1.35Mb)

In response to the Hargreaves Review of Intellectual Property and Growth, the IPO has conducted an investigation into a set of technology sectors for potential evidence and indicators of patent thickets.

A system defining different types of thickets according to technology maturity and sector is proposed; and the potential effects of these thickets on new market entrants (such as SMEs) in these technology sectors is considered.

In this report, a set of basic indicators identifying and ranking patent thickets is suggested, and some initial work in an automated thicket detection methodology is discussed.

November 2011

Graphene - the UK perspective (579Kb)

Following on from the worldwide overview, this report focuses on the patent landscape in relation to UK based patent applicants and inventors.

October 2011

Graphene - a worldwide overview (1Mb)

Graphene is a nanomaterial consisting of sheets of carbon atoms a single layer thick in a hexagonal arrangement. It has been referred to as the miracle material of the 21st Century and its public profile was boosted when the Nobel Prize in Physics 2010 was awarded to Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov of Manchester University. This report gives an overview of the worldwide patent landscape.

September 2011

Regenerative medicine - the UK landscape (915Kb)

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills undertook a stock-take of regenerative medicine in the UK. This report provides an up-to-date overview of the UK patent landscape.

June 2011

Disruptive technology - a toolkit (325Kb)

Are patents a useful tool for assessing the potential of science-intensive, emerging disruptive technologies? This paper was presented at the European Patent Office's Patent Statistics for Decision Makers conference in 2009.

July 2010

UK innovation nanotechnology patent landscape analysis (3.12Mb)

UK nanotechnology innovation patent data reveals commercial and academic strengths and collaborations and yields specific assignee profiles. High level sectors are analysed and contrasted, key patents identified and a comparison is drawn between UK and global nanotechnology innovation.

April 2009

Patent landscape analysis of recycling and separation technologies (1.4Mb)

Worldwide patent data covering mixed waste streams is analysed, observing geographical and sector trends. In particular, under-represented sectors are identified. Specific patents exemplify observations.

April 2009

A patent informatics study of energy from waste (2.34Mb)

Worldwide patent data is contrasted with GB innovation identifying sector trends and specific expertise. Specific patents are noted for their influence on the landscape. Legislative and social influences are surmised.

March 2009