Automatic Patent Analysis Used to Improve Innovation and Development in Developing Countries

Abstract

The improvement of an industrial policy is a key focus in developed countries as well as in countries in development. The efficient use of competencies and knowledge of the research laboratories is one the strategies that can lead to the creation of new products and services linked to market’s needs. The management of natural resources and the development of new offers based on local resources can become for some countries a strategic lever in the setting of their economic policy. This paper presents an easy way to provide key information enabling the people engaged in these processes to be informed about what is going on in their area of interest: Who is doing what, when, where, what technology is involved, etc. To fulfill this objective we will use the APA (Automatic Patent Analysis). Most of the time patents are used to protect an invention but in this paper we will focus on the use of patent information to promote innovation and to facilitate regional development. Most of laboratories, regional decision makers, have various questions about new areas of research, new developments, valorization of local resources, etc. Patent information because it deals with real applications and products and is validated by patent examiners is one of the best sources of data to be explored. Moreover, in scientific papers patents are poorly cited even if the information provided by this source is most of the time not published elsewhere. Methodology: The APA is an analysis methodology based on patent information which permits by screening a technical subject or from a company or inventor names from a natural resource or technology, to map in details technological strategies and trends, major players and corporate collaborations... For the purpose of this papers APA will be performed with Matheo Patent software. The software will help us to research patents from the European Patent Office (EPO) worldwide database, to download the relevant information, and to perform analysis (simple and combined) of the Patent Assignees, the technological classification of patents, the inventors, and basically of all the technical information provided by a patent. All these added value materials will highlight: possible collaborations, innovative ideas, main trends. The level of necessary technological knowledge to develop patent applications is also available through the patent classification combined with the invention description. Results: All the outputs of the patent analysis can be used either to help innovative thinking in SMEs (Small and Middle Size Industry) for instance or to engage the local decision makers in a policy to prepare the development of clusters or to indicate to the researchers what new directions they may take with their today knowledge. In this paper the method will be presented as well as various examples dealing with Indonesia, Thailand and the valorization of “Moringa oleifera”.