Research On The Industrial Innovator Network Based On Patent Analysis

With the development of economic globalization, open innovation has become the priority choice for enterprises in the increasingly fierce competition. Innovation network is the sum of the relationships among the behavior subjects in a certain range which build the relationship during participating in the activities of innovation. Theory and practice prove that initiative integrating into the innovation network plays an important role in the enterprises to obtain external resources in the open innovation environments. Therefore, it is necessary to deeply study on the structural characteristics and evolution of innovation network. Patent information which belongs to the innovators is the direct embodiment of their technological capability. Through patent analysis we can reveal the relationship between innovators, so as to construct the innovation network of the target field, and provide a path for further network analysis.In this paper, we make the concept of industrial innovator network on the basis of existing theoretical research. We consider that correlation network and cooperation network of innovators can be established by measuring the coupling relationship and joint patents between the innovators. We come up with a systematic theoretical framework for analyzing the correlation network and cooperation network from the static and dynamic research perspectives, and then establish the intelligence analysis process which including data preparation, patent analysis visualization and application. Finally, we collect the patent data in the flat display technology field and make every 10 years as a research period. Using patent measurement, information visualization technology and social network analysis, we make empirical analysis of the whole and the individual characteristics of the network from both static and dynamic perspectives. The results show that, flat panel display technology update fast and the innovators become more and more close. Static analysis of correlation network reveals the distribution, network location and related characters of the innovators in target technology field. The evolution analysis further shows technology trend and distribution trend of the whole filed, and technology development trend of the innovators. Static analysis of cooperation network reveals the distribution feature of partnership among the innovators, and the individual nature of activeness and fusion in target technology field. The evolution analysis further shows changing rule of regional partnership, the formation and evolution of the high-frequency cluster cooperation, and changing in technical characteristics of innovators. With the static and evolution analysis of industrial innovator network, this paper provides important technical information for innovators to improve their technological innovation capability with global sources.