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Biofuels, Telecommunication and Nanotechnology are the hottest areas of R&D in the global intellectual property marketplace, according to an analysis of world patent activity published by the IP Solutions business of Thomson Reuters.
The research paper, ‘˜Innovation Hot Spots: Mining Patent Data for Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs’ , tracks unique inventions published in patent applications and granted patents from 2003, 2008 and 2009 to identify technology areas showing the sharpest growth over the last five years.
Focused within the fields of biofuels, telecom and bio-related nanotechnology researchers found that the three areas showing the biggest increases in patenting activity are the following:
- Biofuels Based on Algae: Patenting activity in the field of algae-based biofuels — third generation biofuels which produce a negligible impact on the human food chain — increased significantly from 2003 to 2009.
- Cell Phone Data/Wireless Network Roaming: Patenting activity in the field of cellular/wireless network roaming has increased 520% from 2003-2009, with 26,415 unique inventions published in the most recent period.
- Lab-on-a-Chip Nanotechnology: Patenting activity in the field of lab-on-a-chip nanotechnology, which brings together the worlds of genetic engineering and nanotechnology, grew 220% between 2003 and 2009, reaching a total of 1,682 unique inventions in the most recent period.
In addition to tracking the growth of patenting activity in each field, the analysis also identifies the companies who are most active in these spaces and the countries in which they are seeking patent protection.
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Innovation Hot Spots: Mining Patent Data for Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs