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Dynamic patterns of technological convergence in printed electronics technologies: patent citation network

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Abstract

The importance of the convergent approach to technology development has increased recently. Therefore, understanding the characteristics of technology convergence, which refers to the combination of two or more technological elements in order to create a new system with new functions, is an important issue not only for researchers in technology development, but also for company directors for their successful management of product competitiveness. Therefore, in order to investigate the patterns and the mechanism of technological convergence, we examine the printed electronics technology which has typical characteristics of technology convergence. Based on the printed electronics-related patents registered between 1976 and 2012, we perform network analysis of the technology components in order to identify key technologies which played a central role among the groups of convergence technologies and to examine their dynamic role corresponding to the development of technology convergence. The results show that control technologies which control the role of other technologies over the technology convergence process play significant role. The centrality value is highest in the case of control technology, and devices related technologies have the largest number of patents quantitatively, thereby confirming the results. In addition, the trajectory analysis of the centrality value reveals a co-evolution pattern in technology convergence.

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Notes

  1. Patents and patent statistics have long been employed as technological indicators and as representative proxies for technology analysis (Grilliches 1990; Trajtenberg et al. 1997). Patent management contributes to fundamental functions in technology management such as information protection and economic performance (Ernst 2003).

  2. If the patents cited were not registered in the USPTO but registered in other overseas offices, they were removed from the analysis.

  3. Roll-to-roll production line: a kind of rotary printing technique that allows target material surface to move constantly during the printing process thus increasing cost-efficiency.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea funded by Korean Government (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology: NRF-2012-S1A3A-2033860, NRF-2011-013-B00051).

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Correspondence to Wonjoon Kim.

Appendices

Appendix 1

See Table 8.

Table 8 Keywords and their sources in patent information

Appendix 2

See Table 9.

Table 9 The descriptions and examples of 51 IPC main groups and classification of element technologies

Appendix 3

Tables 10 and 11 shows the detailed post hoc test results of two-way ANOVA for element technologies and different time periods. The results show that the mean of control technologies and the period of 1990–1994 have relatively high closeness centrality than any other element technologies and periods respectively. However, the mean of circuit technology shows no difference statistically.

Table 10 Multiple comparisons: Scheffe post hoc test results for differences of element technology
Table 11 Multiple comparisons: Scheffe post hoc test results for differences of technological period

Tables 12 and 13 shows the detailed post hoc test results of two-way ANOVA for element technologies and different time periods in the case of betweenness centrality. The ink technology shows high betweenness centrality than other element technologies. In terms of time period comparisons, 1990–1994 and 1995–1999 have statistically significant differences than other periods.

Table 12 Multiple comparisons: Scheffe post hoc test results for differences of element technology
Table 13 Multiple comparisons: Scheffe post hoc test results for differences of technological period

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Kim, E., Cho, Y. & Kim, W. Dynamic patterns of technological convergence in printed electronics technologies: patent citation network. Scientometrics 98, 975–998 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-013-1104-7

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