Technological-level evaluation using patent statistics: model and application in mobile communications

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) has been a driving force of development for knowledge-based economies. In particular, as competition in mobile communications technological innovation among nations becomes more intense, there are growing demands for improved evaluation, judgment, and prediction of mobile communications technological capability in order to improve national ICT competitiveness. Technological capability refers to conceptual-level elements that capture technological competitiveness in operation. A technological level can be defined for making comparisons of one technological capability with another. Patent statistics have been used by economists and researchers in the field of innovation to analyze current and forecast technological directions. This paper evaluates relative technological capability in terms of patent statistics for some technology domains. We propose a patent statistic model for relative technological capability based on patent activity, intensity, market-power, and citation index for mobile communications technologies at a national level. In particular, it gives a technological-level evaluation of 3G, 3G transitional, and 4G mobile communications for the US, EU, Japan, China, and Korea.