1. Technology Analysis
- using patent databases as a data source
1
What questions can we can get answered using patent data?
• How ”hot” is a technology area?
• Where in the technology lifecycle is the technology?
• Early stage
• Growth
• Maturity
• No identifiable cycles
• Which companies takes patents in the area?
• What technology components do they combine in their innovations?
• How ”rare” are the technology combinations used by the companies?
• Which other companies share this technological fingerprint?
• When developing a new business strategy which macro technology trends should be
considered?
• What acquisition targets would support our strategy?
Maturity
Growth
Early Stage
7. The old Technology: Electric/Displacement Pumps
- Case example
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199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012
Mature Technology
• Declining number of new unique
patents shows a matured
technology
• Patents taken now, most likely add
very little value to customers
compared to the resources
needed to develop them.
Usage of pumps
• It is important to state that the
analysis do not suggest that the
use of electronic pumps will
decrease, only that the benefit
from researching into this matured
technology will decrease.
Most common strategic mistake
• When this happen most
companies actually increase the
R&D spent in a futile attempt to
increase output from the
technology. Not realizing that the
hardship is coming from a macro
technology trend instead of other
factors.
Unique patents
Most valuable patents
Maturity
Growth
Early Stage
Year
8. A Promising New Technology
-UV treatment of water, drinking/waste
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19931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012
Technology Growth Anticipated
• Heavily patented technology area
• Growth phase has not been
entered yet, but is anticipated.
• IPR taken in this periode are likely
to be very valuable in the future
Markets Growth
• Market growth is estimated to be
15-20% in the future
M&A Activity
• Large private equity funds are
buying market leaders in this
industry e.g. Danaheir
• Good IPR should be considered
important when considering a
target
Early Stage
Year
Unique patents (This technology has a lot higher patent activity than pumps)
9. Our software can identify Technology Components in patents
-Case example: Anti-phase Sound
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10. Looking at the Market Leader (60% Market share)
-UV treatment of water, drinking/waste
10
26
Patents with
the same
technology
combination
A61L-002/10 C02F-001/32
US2010282661-A1;
WO2010130031-A1;
CA2760191-A1; EP2429679-
A1; KR2012031935-A;
CN102421498-A
Fluid treatment system, used for
treatment of liquids such as
water, comprises a fluid inlet, a
fluid outlet, and a fluid
treatment zone
Using our software we identified the most commonly used technology
combination in Trojan’s Patent portfolio
Using the identified technology fingerprint we
searched globally for companies using the same
technology combination in their patents.
This revealed a venture backed company in Israel
with several patents with the same technology
fingerprint.
11. Looking at the Market Leader (60% Market share)
-UV treatment of water, drinking/waste
11
The second most commonly used technology configuration in the
Trojan patent portfolio is combining UV with electromagnetic waves
Using the identified technology fingerprint we
searched globally for companies using the same
technology combination in their patents.
This revealed two Japanese companies; Chiyoda
Kohan with no english homepage, and Iwasaki
specializing in light.
23
Patents with this
configuration B01J-019/12 C02F-001/32
Radiation source assembly of transverse-to-
flow fluid treatment system, has top plug
element that is disengaged from reactor port
without disengagement of elongate radiation
source from reactor port
12. Customers are
over served
Unit price
decreases, as
production
increases
Technology gets
depleted
The technology Bermuda triangle
-Wright, Clayton Christensen & Technology maturity
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Wright & Moore
Clayton Christensen
13. New customer
segments
Unit price
decreases, as
production
increases
Technology not
entering maturity
The Profit triangle
-Wright, Clayton Christensen & Technology maturity
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14. Underwater drilling for oil
- 948 patents last 10 years
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1000
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Unique Patents
Years
15. Underwater drilling for oil
- 948 patents last 10 years
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Companies which has taken new patents in this area
16. MIT patents with combined IPC’s
-When commercializing the number of technologies combined increases
IPC Code Description from WIPO
A61K-048/00
Medicinal preparations containing genetic material which is
inserted into cells of the living body to treat genetic
diseases; Gene therapy
C12N-015/11
Genetic material which is inserted into cells of the living body
to treat genetic diseases .... DNA or RNA fragments; Modified
forms thereof (DNA or RNA not used in recombinant
technology
17. 17
1 Fleming, L. and Sorenson, O. Science as a map in technological search. Strategic Management Journal.
2004
Fleming, L. and O. Sorenson, 2004 Empirical findings
”The exponential relationship between citations and economic value found by Harhoff et al. (1999) for German patents holds in the
U.S. market, this 10 percent increase in citations would correspond to a 214 percent increase in economic value.” Fleming, L. and O.
Sorenson, 2004
18. 18
The hill of usefulness getting exploited
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3500
1985 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
IPC Code Description from WIPO
A61K-048/00 Medicinal preparations containing genetic material which is inserted into cells of the living body to treat genetic diseases; Gene
therapy
C12N-015/11 Genetic material which is inserted into cells of the living body to treat genetic diseases .... DNA or RNA fragments; Modified forms
thereof (DNA or RNA not used in recombinant technology
19. Contact info
19
Filip Poulsen
MSc in Management of Innovation and Business Development
Business development, strategy & technology analysis
www.TCGConsult.dk
Phone: +45 40 54 66 22
Mail: fp@tcgconsult.dk
