A Novel Computer-aided System for University-Industry Collaboration: Searching Licensees using Patent Classification

Abstract

By analyzing successful patent licensing cases, the authors found a peculiar pattern in which firms tend to take patent license in a technological field different but close to those they have previously developed. The International Patent Classification (IPC) is applied to the technological field. The theory of absorptive capacity is the theory that because a firm may assimilate new external information relying on prior knowledge, the firm has a likelihood that it develops knowledge in those areas closely related to prior knowledge it has held. A computer-aided system was developed to systematically extract, according to the peculiar pattern, patent assignees which can be considered potential licensees. It may provide a novel coordinating tool to be used in university-industry collaboration.