reportStatistical Patent Analysis March 2010
11.20 Executive Summary
Nanotechnology is not a single technological field. It is rather an embracing entity of different technologies that are taking place or covering aspects on the nanometre scale. According to the patent literature it is frequently segmented into technological fields such as "Electronics", "Optoelectronics", "Measurements and manufacturing", "Environment and Energy", "Nano materials" etc. which is only by part congruent to the technology sectors defined within ObservatoryNANO.
However, patent literature determines a majority of nanotechnologies being realised by "top-down" processes. These nanotechnologies which are frequently due to specific nano structuring approaches are mainly improvements and further developments of existing technologies, thus often representing applications with only low degrees of interdisciplinarity. They are rather shifting technological barriers within their own area.
Nanotechnologies based on "bottom-up" processes are up to now still less comprehensive with respect to the number of patent documents but show considerable gain during recent years. Production of nanomaterials is predominantly based on "bottom-up" processes and was fuelled by scientific discoveries and rapidly increasing technological developments such as carbon nanotubes, nano particles of various materials, nanofoams etc. Nanomaterials and their "bottom-up"-production get increasingly important for numerous technological fields within nanotechnology and has a strong cross-border or multi-disciplinarity component.
The number of patent applications in nanotechnology has been increasing more than tenfold during the last 20 years. The EPO´s worldwide database meanwhile counts a total of 130.000 patent documents and more than 10.000 new annual applications being assigned to nanotechnology.
Until the late 1990s a more or less moderate growth of nanotechnology patents may be realised, which in general shows a nearly linear temporal behaviour. However, in the mid 90s the global growth rate decreased slightly, which according to the literature mainly follows the decline of japanese patenting activities in this period. The period temporarily corresponds to the japanese asset crisis that decreased venture capital availability and research investments.
In contrast to this period a dramatic increase of patent applications may be realised in the beginning of the first decade, where the number of annual applications nearly doubled from ~5.000 to above 10.000 p. a. and remained at this level since then.
A resolved view according to the technology sectors as defined by ObservatoryNANO highlights fairly different situations. The largest sectors with respect to the number of patent applications are the nanomaterials and the information technology sectors. Together with "Health, Medicine, Nanobio" they also show the largest annual growth rates. However, "Health, Medicine, Nanobio" developed steadily with a fairly linear behaviour, whereas "Chemistry&Materials" and "ICT" showed strong exponential and super-exponential behaviour until ~2005 and found some saturation since this time.
The EU´s situation in an international comparison also differs depending on the application sector. For the whole nanotechnology area EU countries contribute with 20 % taking the third position behind the United States and Japan. The strongest european share with the EU in the leading position may be realised for the construction sector. Other strong sectors with respect to EU activities are "Health, Medicine, Nanobio", "Security", "Environment" and "Agrifood". The european share in "Chemistry&Materials" and "Energy" compares to the general EU-share in nanotechnology patenting activities. An "underperforming" situation for the EU is given in the "Textiles" and the "ICT" sectors, with a european share in the latter of only 10 %.
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