A Study On Analyzing And Enhancing The Competitive Advantage Of China's Graphene Industry Based On Patent Analysis

Under the background of knowledge economy,due to the increasing speed of market change and the shortening of technological innovation cycle,the research of competitive advantage in emerging technology industry has received highly concerned by academicians and practitioners around the world.Graphene,a new type of two-dimensional nano material with exceptional mechanical,thermal,optical and electrical properties,is regarded as the most disruptive material in the twenty-first century.How to enhance competitive advantage in graphene industry has become an important research issue for countries to improve their technological innovation level in this field.Currently,China's graphene industry is at the rapid development stage,but there is no accurate study on patent competitive situation in this industry.Therefore,it is necessary to analyze the competitive advantages and disadvantages of China's graphene industry in technological competition from the perspective of patent.This research uses the theories of pantent analysis and competitive advantage,integrates the research perspectives of patent competition analysis and patent collaboration analysis,and builds a research framework of industrial competitive advantage based on patent analysis.This framework overcomes the lack of traditional research on separating the research perspectives of patent competition and patent collaboration,provides a new research perspective for industrial competitive advantage,adopts research methods of patent bibliometrics analysis,social network analysis,comparative study,and case study,and conducts a comprehensive and systematic dynamic analysis of industrial competitive advantage.Finally,this research puts forward countermeasures for China's graphene industry to enhance competitive advantage based on both theoretical research and practical demand.The specific research results are shown as below:Firstly,this research introduces multi-level perspective model to the patent-based industrial research field,and builds a new method for identifying patent technological competition situation in the specific technological field from the perspective of patent competition analysis.From the comprehensive aspects of the macro socio-technical landscape,meso socio-technical regimes,and micro niches,this method illuastrates the dynamic evolution of patent technological competition situation in global and China's graphene industry,and identifies the competitive position of China's graphene industry.From the analysis results it draws conclusions that the United States is still the most powerful leader in graphene industry,and Korea is a promising competitor in the industry.Although China is obtaining competitive advantage in the total number of graphene patents,there is still the apparent gaps between China and the United States and Korea in overseas patent layout and core patents.Secondly,based on social network analysis and technology life cycle theory,this research builds the patent collaboration network and Industry-University-Research collaboration network in both global scale and China from the perspective of patent collaboration analysis,which provide the basis for Chinese stakeholders to find out their own competitive position,identify patentees with competitive advantage and enhance competitive advantage in graphene industry.From the analysis results,it is concluded that the patent collaboration of graphene industry in China,especially Industry-UniversityResearch collaboration,is relatively scarce.Chinese patentees are mainly from universities and research institutes.In addition,the existing patent collaboration is mainly among domestic patentees.In terms of patent collaboration,Chinese patentees still lag behind the Korean patentees with competitive advantage.Thirdly,by integrating the research perspectives of patent competition analysis and patent collaboration analysis,this research employs a method of patent technological portfolio to help Chinese patentees identify the domestic and multinational technology partners as well as patent collaboration opportunities,and finally enhances their competitive advantage in graphene industry.From the analysis results,in terms of the graphene technological field with competitive advantage in the growth stage,Zhejiang University,Harbin Institute of Technology,Chengdu New Keli Chemical company,Tsinghua University,and Central South University are the most potential domestic partners of Chinese patentees,while Samsung company,LG company,Nanotek Instruments company,Lee Y T,Sungkyunkwan University,and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology are the most potential foreign partners of Chinese patentees in the field of graphene.In terms of specific areas of patent technological collaboration,the most potential areas are nanofilm,vehicles,and non metal conductors—carbon and graphite.Fourthly,this research introduces new patent indicators which focus on patent quality to the previous patent roadmap,and builds a systematic research framework for identifying the technological competition situation in graphene biomedical field.This framework helps Chinese patentees dig out technological opportunities,imporve patent layout and enhance competitive advantage in this field.As for the results,China needs to strengthen IndustryUniversity-Research collaboration and cultivate the industrialization ability of patents in universities.On the other hand,China needs to pay close attention to research hotspots and fronts as well as market demand,and actively layout patents in the technology blank area.Finally,based on the survey at National Graphene Institute and Graphene Engineering Innovation Center of the University of Manchester,this research deeply analyzes the technological innovation ecosystem of the University of Manchester,and summarizes the useful practical experience of the University of Manchester in the process of technological innovation in the graphene industry.As for Chinese universities in graphene industry,they need to improve the Industry-University-Research collaboration platform,cultivate compound and creative talents,formulate technical standards,and apply for standard essential patent to enhance their competitive advantage.