Featured Nanotechnology Report

Patenting flatland: Graphene Exploitation challenges, February 2012

CambridgeIP has published a new report on Boliven.com to complement recent research published in Nature Materials around the emerging technology field of graphene, and the graphene patent landscape.

The report developed by experts at CambridgeIP builds on a recent Nature Materials article by Quentin Tannock (Chairman) to provide a detailed analysis and insights into the emerging patent landscape of graphene technology. There is more information on the article below.

As the first 2D material discovered, graphene possesses unique physical, electrical and thermal properties, allowing a very broad range of applications to be developed across multiple technology sectors, from materials to semi-conductors to biotech. Our research indicates that disruptive graphene technologies are likely to be rolled out by large corporations in the near future. For example, while the graphene-based semiconductor chip is still a long way off, there are strong signs that smartphone players, notably Samsung and Nokia, could be incorporating other graphene-based technology into their products relatively soon.

In this updated and extended report ‘Patenting flatland: Graphene’ we present:

• Comprehensive review of graphene patents and patent applications globally
• Identification of who owns key elements of the graphene patent landscape
• Insight into existing R&D relationships in the graphene technology space
• Analysis and discussion of major corporate, SME and university IP strategies in graphene, including analysis of Samsung graphene patents, Nokia graphene patents and Sungkyunkwan University graphene patent activity
• Identification of key graphene patent examples and graphene technologies

Additionally, relevant features of the nanotechnology patent landscape are identified and discussed, graphene technology systems and graphene manufacturing methods are introduced. We discuss the possible emergence of graphene patent thickets and likely policy responses to any emergent patent thickets around graphene R&D. We also present analysis around the collaborations and research relationships revealed in the graphene patents literature, including the graphene patent network of Manchester University which is growing but currently much smaller than the networks of its University peers who are also active in graphene R&D. Examples of the patent activities of leading major corporations and leading SMEs in graphene are provided, together with samples of most recent graphene developments and most important graphene patents overall.

The companion document to this report is our full dataset. For more information on the report, its content and selected findings please visit CambridgeIP Reports on Boliven.com here.

Featured Nanotechnology Publication

Exploiting carbon flatland, Tannock, Q; Nature Materials, Volume 11, pgs 2-5 (2012)

 

Seven years after graphene was first isolated, our analysis of the densely populated patent landscape around the two-dimensional material reveals striking differences between universities’ patenting activities and illustrates the challenges of a fast-moving technology space. In an article in Nature Materials, Quentin Tannock from CambridgeIP highlights University-Industry collaboration activity and key findings from CambridgeIP research into the graphene patent landscape.

Key findings include:

• One of the striking features of the graphene patent landscape is what is not present. Professor Andre Geim (one of two Physics Nobel Prize winners of 2010) is not currently listed as an inventor on any published graphene patent application. Konstantin Novoselov, who won the Nobel Prize with Geim, is currently listed as an inventor on only one patent application (date of search November 2011).
• Manchester University, where Geim and Novoselov work, has significantly less patents than its graphene focused research peers at other Universities.
• The chances of an academic inventor receiving an investment to roll out a commercial graphene application are less than in the past. Finding corporate strategic partners is now even more important to Universities than it was in the past, and at an even earlier stage in the science commercialization process.

Read the full article in Nature Materials here, or contact us here with any questions you might have.

Experience and Expertise

Our team covers a broad section of the Nanotechnology field. We have developed particular expertise in the following fields:

• Nanomaterials
• Nanobiotechnology
• Nanosensors
• Nanoformulations
• Nanotoxicity
• Carbon Nanotubes (CNT)
• Tissue Engineering
• Graphene
• Quantum dots
• Environmental Fields: Fuel Cells, Photovoltics & Water Purification
• Industrial Fields: Automotive, Aerospace, Paints, Electronics
• Contact us for a full list of our expertise

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Clients use our analysis to meet a range of business development requirements:

• Understand their patent landscape
• Gather competitive intelligence
• Formulate R&D strategies
• Identify collaboration & in-licensing partners
• Enable Freedom to Operate analysis
• Support investment cases
• Undertake M&A due diligence
• Open Innovation
• Highlight Technology ‘white space’
• Inform Investment Opportunities
• Technology Value Chain mapping
• Develop Technology Roadmap
• Contact us for a full range of our business solutions

Featured Nanotechnology Boliven Landscape: Recent trends in nanotechnology patenting: 2005 to May 2011

View our latest Nanotechnology Boliven Landscape™ report that presents an analysis of patenting trends in nanotechnology in the 5 years to end-May 2011. The report is based on a semi-automated and expert-validated analysis of nanotechnology patents, as identified by the EPO & conducted on Boliven systems, a literature review of past patent studies and interviews with nanotechnology and industry experts. The report, analytics and an interactive list of the relevant patents can be found on Boliven.

Includes Nanotubes : Carbon nanotube (CNT), Single-wall nanotube (SWNT), Double-wall nanotube (DWNT), Multi-wall nanotube (MWNT)

This Boliven Landscape™ covers key patents in the nanotechnology sector and covers subjects such as patents around carbon nanotube (CNT), single-wall nanotube (SWNT), double-wall nanotube (DWNT), multi-wall nanotube (MWNT), fullerene and graphene innovations.

 

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Download our case studies to see examples of how we have Informed M&A and diversification activities; Assisted in the rapid and reliable identification of collaboration partners; Provided ‘on tap’ access to IP expertise; Improved understanding of patent activity in emerging markets (including Asia); Supported flexible and real-time decision-making.

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