CambridgeIP Publications
CIP experts are regular contributors to media publications in the area of technology, innovation and IP strategy.
Below you can find a selection of our publications. In addition, the CambridgeIP research team produces the Boliven Landscapes, a unique online patent landscape reports product. You can access the latest Boliven Landscapes here.
Please contact us with any suggestions for joint publications, contributor articles or conference speaker requests.
Publications: by date order, most recent first
January 2012: 'Desalination Technologies and the Use of Alternative Energies for Desalination'
This patent landscape report was commissioned by the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) and focuses on desalination technologies, and in particular on desalination technology integration with renewable energy sources. Desalination is in principle a particularly suitable solution to a large number of areas with possible water shortages that are close to coastal areas or island locations. However, desalination has traditionally been considered as a very expensive and 'luxury' solution, in particular due to its high energy cost, but also due to the relatively low number of scalable technologies.
The report reviews key desalination technologies that are currently commercially deployed (with some indicative energy spend figures), and technologies currently in the R&D phase. We also review the 'direct' and 'indirect' modes of integration with renewable energy sources. This patent landscape report on desalination-related patents identified 4551 patent families (including utility models) that claim inventions related to desalination of water, and 921 families describing the combination of desalination technologies with the use of renewable energies. Based on this patent collection various patterns of patenting activity and innovation in the area of desalination are detected, with a separate focus on the use of renewable energies for desalination.
Access the full report on WIPO here, or contact us This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions you might have.
December 2011: ' Expoliting carbon flatland' in Nature Materials 11 , pg 2–5 (Jan 2012) [Published online: 15 December 2011]
Seven years after isolation of the first graphene sheets, an analysis of the densely populated patent landscape around the two-dimensional material reveals striking differences between universities' patenting activities and illustrates the challenges of a fast-moving technology space.
Key findings include:
- One of the striking features of the graphene patent landscape is what is not present. Professor Andre Geim (one of two Physics Nobel Prize winners of 2010) is not listed as an inventor on any published graphene patent application.
- Manchester University, where Prof Andre Geim is the Langworthy Professor, has significantly less patents than its graphene focused research peers at other Universities.
- "The chances of an academic inventor receiving an investment to roll out a commercial graphene application are less than in the past. Finding corporate strategic partners is now even more important to Universities than it was in the past, and at an even earlier stage in the science commercialization process." (Quentin Tannock, p.4)
Read the full article in Nature Materials here, or contact us here with any questions you might have.
November 2011: First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) - A Focus on the Technology Fundamentals - Patent-evidenced Analysis of First Solar's Competitive Position, R&D Focus and IP Strategy in the Solar PV industry.
This report details the technology fundamentals of First Solar Inc., revealing insights into its competitive position, R&D focus and IP strategy and is available for purchase through CambridgeIP’s Knowledge and Innovation platform Boliven.com and through Bloomberg’s Premium Research and Data Platform BMART. What you can find in this report:
- Comprehensive review of the patent and technology portfolio of First Solar, a leading company in the Solar PV industry
- Insight into First Solar's emerging product strategy and evolving collaborations and licensing partnerships
- Detailed geographical analysis of First Solar's patent portfolio
- Examination of key patents in the CdTe technology space owned by First Solar and other companies
- Strategic investment implications based on expert reviewed market and technology developments of First Solar
For a more details on the report about the content, datasets and selected findings please see Boliven.com.
May 2011: Emerging patent thickets and standards in the medical devices and telehealth space - Innovation, market dynamics and policy options in cross-over technologies
To download a copy of the report, click here .
The report was authored by CambridgeIP’s Ilian Iliev, Helena van der Merwe and Quentin Tannock, and University of Sussex researcher Dr. Puay Tang. The authors discuss two broad topics as applied to the emerging space of telehealth: the effects of patent thickets (technology areas that are densely populated by patents referring to a similar technology domain) on innovation and market dynamics, and the role of technology standards and patent pools as a possible response to the emergence of patent thickets. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the telehealth space – a cross-over of the telecoms and medical devices industries - the findings and conclusions of the report are relevant to inform IP and innovation policy more broadly.
The Report concludes with a discussion of projections for continued development and investment in the telehealth space, translating to a wealth of opportunities for the traditional technology, telecoms and health communities globally. In light of the UK’s strengths as a market leader in both telecoms and medical devices, and its position as one of the largest consolidated healthcare services markets internationally, it is expected that the domestic market for telehealth in particular will benefit from high-level and sustained investment.
CambridgeIP also partnered with the Boliven.com team to launch an interactive Boliven Landscape that enables readers to conduct their own analysis on CambridgeIP’s patent datasets on telehealth. Find out more about Boliven Landscapes here.
February 2011: 'What is the future of HFA pMDIs? A patent-based perspective'
This article discusses that over the last 20 years, inhalation drug delivery has been adjusting to the phase out of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellants. Following the signature of the Montreal Protocol on September 16, 1987, there has been a rush to re-formulate pressure metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) using alternative propellant systems.
This paper also highlights that this has led to the advent of dry powder inhalers (DPIs), and to a prolific HFA (hydrofluoroalkane) pMDI patent field, resulting in a crowded patent landscape. The complexity of this landscape has led to myth and confusion with respect to the risks and opportunities in formulating HFA pMDIs.
This review aims to improve understanding of the intellectual property (IP) landscape. Understanding the past could help industry participants plan the future of pMDI inhalation delivery.
For more information on this article click here.
November 2010: 'Role of Intellectual Property Rights in Technology Transfer'
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Ilian Iliev co-authored a report for the UNFCCC’s Expert Group on Technology Transfer, examining the Role of Intellectual Property Rights in Technology Transfer, in the context of low-carbon energy technologies. The report looked at the evolution of IPR policy, support institutions, how IPR practices have evolved in different industrial sectors. Finally the report looked at specific ways in which IPRs could be used to accelerate innovation and technology transfer for adaptation and mitigation of climate change. |
January 2010: 'Challenges and Oportunities in the licensing of renewable technologies' Journal of Commercial Biotechnology (Volume 16, Issue 1; pp. 47-52). Article co-authored by Ilian Iliev, Meredith Lloyd-Evans, and Mike Gilbert.
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The article describes a new initiative dedicated to the licensing of renewables, framed within a discussion of the current issues and challenges of establishing and licensing renewable technologies. The piece also highlights the increasing relevance of technology transfer between the first world and third world (North-South), specifically the potential investment opportunities with relation to China and India clean technologies. |
December 2009: 'The Importance of IP' Renewable Energy Focus Finance Supplement (pp. 18-20); Ilian Iliev and Mark Meyer.
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As a feature article the piece discusses the integral role of IP within the renewable energy sector. Highlighting the increasing role of IP and its potential market influence within the renewable energy space. Delving into discussions of different strategies, such as IP Partnership or R&D Development, that could have an increasing influence on emerging policy and corporate business plans. 'Many emerging market companies have also used an IP-led acquisition strategy to accelerate their penetration of developed economy markets' (p.19) |
September 18th, 2009: ‘Intellectual Property: Crosslicensing,Patent Pools and Cooperative Standards as a Channel for Climate Change’, Ilian Iliev and Dr.Karsten Nehoff, Climate Strategies, Cambridge
In the run-up to the Copenhagen negotiations, accelerated technology transfer is seen as one of the key drivers for a globally successful decarbonisation strategy. It has become increasingly accepted that adoption and diffusion of technologies in developing countries crucially depends on creating a suitable enabling environment. Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) play a key role in determining the channels and terms of such technology transfer. In this paper we take a fact-based approach by exploring how in practice industries have dealt with IPRs, and explore the linkage between different IPR strategies with broader industry business models that have worked well in stimulating innovation and technology diffusion in other industries. The paper focuses on how other industries have used co-operative IPR arrangements such cross-licensing, patent pooling and technology standards agreements that are (a) backed by IPRs owned by companies, and (b) result in open (but not necessarily free) access to such IPRs by companies that are not part of the initial agreement (i.e. it is not a ‘closed club’). Co-operative IPR arrangements have occurred in areas as diverse as aircraft manufacturing, semi-conductors, mobile telecommunications and electricity metering: industries that have seen significant rates of growth in innovation and technology diffusion, as well as a high-level of patenting activity.
The paper provides an overview of the diverse strategic uses of IP by private sector actors followed by a summary of key factors that may be used to identify industries which are ‘ripe’ for cross-licensing, patent pool or co-operative standard setting. This is demonstrated by two case studies of standards management bodies, showing how in practice a co-operative technology standard may emerge, with different levels of engagement of the public sector. A remaining question is whether additional public intervention might be warranted to facilitate or accelerate the development of IP pools and open access to industry standards. This might be of relevance for the global advancement of low-carbon technologies but even more so for the adoption and diffusion in developing countries.
To download a copy of the report, click here.
September 11th, 2009: CambridgeIP and Chatham House launch report ‘Who Owns Our Low-Carbon Future: Intellectual Property and Energy Technologies?'
Ahead of the Copenhagen Summit, Chatham House and Cambridge IP have undertaken an extensive analysis of patent ownership and the market adoption rates of six energy technologies: wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), concentrated solar power, biomass-to electricity, cleaner coal and carbon capture. Based on a 57,000 patent datasets, the report identifies the lead ing 20 patent-holding companies for each technology, and specific trends in over 30 sub-sectors.
Conclusions include
- Carbon intensive companies control much of the key intellectual property needed for the low carbon economy; for example, seven out of the top 20 owners of cleaner coal patents are from the steel sector
- Across the six energy technologies the Top 5 patent holders are ExxonMobil, Hitachi, General Electric, Mitsubishi and Sharp. Patent ownership concentration is not synonymous with a lack of competition, but it can slow innovation and deployment in some markets depending on business models. This study finds considerable variation across the six sectors. The top four wind-energy patent owners – who collectively own 13 per cent of all wind patents – produce 57 per cent of wind-turbines globally, whereas for solar PV, many of the top manufacturers have very limited patent portfolios
- The report urges policy-makers to identify the assets in carbon intensive industries and harness them for low carbon development. A new global database on patent licensing data and best practices would be a quick win
To download a copy of the report, click here
January 24th, 2009: Innovation.bg 2009 - The Bulgarian Innovation System in a Time of Global Economic Crisis
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CambridgeIP was a contributor to the annual report Innovation.BG 2009, the leading innovation review for Bulgaria’s economy, published by ARC Fund. CambridgeIP’s analysis helped identify the historical IP outputs of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The research has been cited by the Bulgarian media in debates over the future of the future of the country’s science and innovation policy. To download a copy of the report click here .
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February 2009, 'Patent analysis: Microscale Energy Harvesting Devices' Quentin Tannock, CambridgeIP, and Dr Henne van Heeren, Enabling MNT.
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Micro-scale energy harvesting devices are small devices used to convert stray energy into electricity. Energy harvesting is regarded as an increasingly attractive and viable approach to powering a wide range of electronic devices. Reasons include environmental and energy savings and the increasing pervasiveness of miniature electronic devices, including wireless sensors and portable electronics. |
The most frequently used energy sources for energy harvesting in the patent literature, together with the top patented technical approaches to microscale energy harvesting are considered and leading corporations and research centres by numbers of microscale energy harvesting patents and patent applications are identified. The report additionally considers MEMS technology and market trends generally and identifies the likely impact of these trends on the development micro-scale energy harvesting devices. MEMS features and trends discussed include growing complexity of MEMS devices, their increasing functionality and pervasiveness, a trend towards developing low power MEMS devices and improved MEMS production processes. Key growth sectors for microscale energy harvesters are identified and discussed. These include structural health monitoring, wireless sensor networks and health. Consumer electronics may be a major growth market in the medium term as more efficient consumer electronics and more effective microscale energy harvesting technologies converge.
The report will be of interest to researchers, industrialists and investors active in transport, healthcare, structural health monitoring, security, consumer electronics, CleanTech, wireless sensing and sectors where micro-scale electronic systems (MEMS) are prevalent.
January 2009: 'The Handbook of European Intellectual Property Management: Developing , managin and protecting your company's intellectual property'; Edited by Adam Jolly and Jeremy Pilpott
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CambridgeIP contributed a chapter titled 'From IP Assets to IP Revenues' to the newly released ‘The Handbook of European Intellectual Property Management: Developing, managing and protecting your company's intellectual property’. In the book Quentin and Ilian outline how understanding a business' IP landscape enables the business to be more effective in earning revenue from IP assets, providing a series of case studies illustrating how understanding patent landscapes assists in licensing, marketing and other business development activities. |
Other contributors to the book covered topics ranging from Open Innovation, Rights protection and Contract negotiations. The book is published by Kogan Page, and can be purchased via Amazon.
November 25th, 2008: 'International Cooperation for Innovation and Use of Low-Carbon Energy Technology'; Climate Strategies
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CambridgeIP's Ilian Iliev co-authored a working paper published by Cambridge-based Climate Strategies exploring technology transfer patterns between developed and emerging economies. Patents are important in stimulating innovation, but also in facilitating technology transfer and the diffusion of best practices. The authors focused on the Clean Coal industry as a location of increasing levels of international technology transfer. In conjunction with Climate Strategy researchers and leading industry experts, CambridgeIP developed a novel patent dataset representing 7,752 patents in four areas of clean coal technology. The dataset was used to quantify international collaboration trends between major industrial corporations, Universities and other participants in the industry. Among other findings, the analysis revealed the growing importance of the Chinese economy as both a destination for patenting activities by assignees in other economies andincreasingly important location of innovation: as revealed by geographic location of inventors. |
The working paper is part of Climate Strategies' International Support for Domestic Climate Policies (ISDCP) project, led by Dr.Karsten Neuhoff at Cambridge University. Climate Strategies aims to assist governments in solving the collective action problem of climate change. Its supporters include the Carbon Trust, European Climate Foundation, EU governments and other stakeholders.
To download a copy of the report, click here
October 30th 2008: "A Strategic Case for Protecting and Growing Corporate Assets", BusinessXL Magazine
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CambridgeIP’s Ilian Iliev was a guest contributor to BusinessXL's special October edition focused on 'Why IP matters'. In his article Ilian argues that despite the downturn, a comprehensive and strategically integrated IP strategy remains key to long-term value creation. As part of such approach, UK companies should increase their patenting focus on current and future growth markets such as China and other major Asian markets and manufacturing destinations. BusinessXL is an award-winning magazine for growing companies and entrepreneurs. In its last few editions the magazine has sought to identify growth strategies that can beat the recession. To download a copy of the article, click here |
October 24th, 2008: “The Patent Landscape of AIM – 2008”, a joint publication of Growth Company Investor and CambridgeIP
In an industry-first, CambridgeIP and Growth Company produced a unique report focused on patent-intensive technology companies listed on AIM. The subset of 70 companies represents the bulk of patenting activity on the Alternative Investments Market: representing some of UK’s most dynamic growth companies. Some of the analyses included in the report:
- The AIM companies with the most patent fillings in the past two years
- The cheapest, most patent-rich companies on AIM
- The most cash-rich companies on AIM that have filed the most patents in the past two years
- The most profitable – and least profitable – companies on AIM with the most patent assets
- A Patent Inventor Network map, which can be used to explore the relationships of a company's inventors with other inventors
The report can be pre-ordered here.
You can also access CambridgeIP’s Online report on the IP Intensive AIM-listed companies here: providing you with additional information on the companies’ patent performance and IP strategy benchmarks.
October 1st, 2008: “Putting IP at the Centre of Business Strategy”, Innovation UK 2008
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CambridgeIP was pleased to contribute to this year’s Innovation UK report on the topic of IP strategy. An effective IP strategy can become a centerpiece for a company’s internationalisation strategy: providing it with leverage and protection across diverse markets, facilitating the generation of additional revenue through licensing activity, as well as a “currency” for negotiating with large corporate partners. We provide some examples of how the planning and implementation of an IP strategy can be achieved as the core of business strategy. You can find CambridgeIP’s contribution under the ‘Business Solutions’ category here (direct link - here). Innovation UK provides a global platform for the UK’s most innovative companies and highlights Britain’s delivery and successful exploitation of innovative ideas. Innovation UK is published in association witdth UK Trade and Investment and the Technology Strategy Board. |
September 1st, 2008: “Maximising the Value of IP for Shareholders”
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CambridgeIP’s Ilian Iliev was a guest contributor to the Quoted Companies Alliance’s Winter Edition of The Voice: a magazine exclusively distributed to directors and shareholders of small quoted companies outside the FTSE350. Shareholders and non-executive directors should consider whether management has the resources to implement sophisticated IP management strategy. A key step in that direction is to integrate the latest approaches to cost-effective and on-demand ‘actionable IP-based intelligence’ in your corporate management’s strategic tool-kit. To download a copy of the article, click here. The Quoted Companies Alliance (QCA) is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to representing the interests of nearly 2000 quoted companies outside the FTSE 350, including those on AIM and PLUS.
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August 3rd, 2008: “Toward Phase 2 in the Evolution of IP Intelligence Use”, The Innovation Handbook
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CambridgeIP contributed to the newly released ‘The Innovation Handbook: How to develop, manage and protect your most profitable ideas’. In the book Ilian and Quentin share insights from CambridgeIP’s work with corporate and high-growth young companies about the evolving uses of IP intelligence. Whereas traditionally patent data is used primarily for freedom to operate and patentability analysis, both major corporate and young technology companies are increasingly using patent-based business intelligence for a wide range of decisions, such as R&D strategy formulation, licensing and spin-off business development, collaboration and hiring strategy, and M&A strategy. |
Other contributors to the book focused a wide range of growth and IP protection strategies aimed at the development and management of companies’ profitable ideas. The book is published by Kogan Page, and can be purchased via Amazon.
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