Jerry Petersen
Patent landscape analysis can help drive an organization’s growth because it can “uncover what isn’t immediately apparent,” according to Keegan Caldwell, a global managing partner at law firm Caldwell. The process is particularly valuable when it comes to research and development, Caldwell said in an article posted Nov. 19 on his firm’s website.
Components of Patent Landscape Analysis
Patent landscape analysis has four components that, when put together, help an organization gain a better understanding of innovation in a given area and provide actionable intelligence.
The first component is patent mapping, where relationships between patents in a given technical domain is explored. The goals of this component includes uncovering the evolution of innovations as well as trends, thereby allowing organizations to make predictions about future trajectories.
The second component is the analysis of patent portfolios — one’s own and those of competitors. This component seeks to identify patterns in an organization’s patent filings. This component also seeks to identify portfolio strengths, strategic intentions and capability gaps.
The third component is white space identification. The objectives are to uncover underexplored areas and potential opportunities for breakthroughs.
The fourth component is a patent citation review. This process involves an analysis of how patents reference each other, thereby revealing key players and their levels of influence.
Benefits to R&D
According to Caldwell, with the help of patent landscape analysis, an organization can make better informed R&D investment decisions. On the one hand, the process can help a company identify areas where competitors have already filed patents. At the same time, the process can help an organization identify gaps in technological development and areas of genuine innovation opportunities.
“By examining not just what competitors have patented but how their patent portfolios have evolved, organizations can anticipate strategic shifts and identify potential areas of future conflict or collaboration. And, through systematic analysis of technological gaps and white spaces, organizations can identify unexplored market segments that align with their core competencies,” Caldwell said.
