BioPat: An Investigation Tool for Analysis of Industry Evolution, Technological Paths and Policy Impact in the Biofuels Sector

Fuel prices and the invention crowding out effect: Releasing the automotive industry from its dependence on fossil fuel

“…Patent families are defined by the OECD as "the set of patents (or applications) filed in several countries which are related to each other by one or several common priority filings"(OECD, 2009, pp.71).6 Patent data can be collected in various ways, but there are drawbacks to data collection using patent classification(Costantini et al, 2013) and applicant name(Thoma et al, 2010) searches.7 The number of firms ranked on the R&D Scoreboards before 2006 and after 2011 were very different (500 and 2,000 as opposed to 1,000 firms). Thus, the 2006-2011 rankings are homogeneous and comparable.8 The Corporate Tree tool covers the top 2,500 patenting companies for those authorities, and takes account of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and spelling differences (but not reassignments).…”