Scientometrics
Volume/Issue:
Volume 87: Issue 1
Industry evolution and key technologies in China based on patent analysis
Authors:
Jia Zheng Research Center for Strategic Science and Technology Issues, Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, Beijing, China

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Zhi-yun Zhao Research Center for Strategic Science and Technology Issues, Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, Beijing, China

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Xu Zhang Research Center for Strategic Science and Technology Issues, Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, Beijing, China

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Dar-zen Chen Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

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Mu-hsuan Huang Department of Library and Information Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan

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Xiao-ping Lei Research Center for Strategic Science and Technology Issues, Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, Beijing, China

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Ze-yu Zhang Research Center for Strategic Science and Technology Issues, Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, Beijing, China

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Yun-hua Zhao Research Center for Strategic Science and Technology Issues, Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, Beijing, China

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Run-sheng Liu Research Center for Strategic Science and Technology Issues, Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China, Beijing, China

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Pages:
175–188
Online Publication Date:
11 Nov 2010
Publication Date:
01 Apr 2011
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-010-0316-3
Keywords:
Patent analysis; Industry type; Key technology; E&E; USPC 361
Restricted access

Abstract

Patents are the manifestation of the industry's research and development (R&D) endeavor; therefore, this paper studies the industry evolution of and key technologies in China from the perspective of patent analysis. Patents in six types of industries, including Chemical (excluding Drugs), Computers and Communications, Drugs and Medical, Electrical and Electronics (E&E), Mechanical, and Others are analyzed in this study. Findings from the analysis show a steady increase of US granted utility patents in China as well as percentage of these patents in the world over the period between 2003 and 2008. All the above industries in China have been growing rapidly during this period, which is very different from the global industry development. Despite the rapid development, the citation rates of these patents have been low, reflecting a need for improvement in the quality of patents and R&D performance for these six industries in China in order to exert more influence in the industry world. The analysis on patents also reveals China's industry distribution to be similar to the global industry distribution, with the exception of E&E industry which weights over one third of the total patents in technologies. The E&E industry is also the field with largest economic growth which rises more rapidly after 2006 with a sudden increase of patents in USPC 361. Detailed tracking of the key technology evolution reveals that 90% of the newly issued patents in USPC 361 after 2006 are owned by Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd, pointing to an unbalanced R&D environment in China's E&E industry sector. By providing the insight into the evolution of China's industrial and technological development through the perspective of patent analysis, this paper hopes to provide an objective statistic reference for future policy directions and academic researches.

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Cover Scientometrics
Scientometrics
Print ISSN:
0138-9130
Online ISSN:
1588-2861

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Scientometrics
Language English
Size B5
Year of
Foundation		 1978
Volumes
per Year		 1
Issues
per Year		 12
Founder Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
CH-6330 Cham, Switzerland Gewerbestrasse 11.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 0138-9130 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2861 (Online)

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