As the first 2D material discovered, graphene possesses unique physical, electrical and thermal properties, allowing a very broad range of applications to be developed across multiple technology sectors, from materials to semi-conductors to biotech.
“Our research also indicates that disruptive graphene technologies are likely to be rolled out by large corporations in the near future. While the graphene-based semiconductor chip is still a long way off, there are strong signs that smartphone players, notably Samsung and Nokia, could be incorporating other graphene-based technology into their products relatively soon,” said Quentin Tannock (Chairman, CambridgeIP).
“Since 2007 there has been a rapid increase in the rate of global patent filings around graphene. And patents are central to business models and business strategies in many key application sectors for graphene developments, such as semiconductors and biotech,” he said.
"While it is encouraging that UK institutions are beginning to file IP around graphene, our research, recently covered in Nature Materials, indicates that many areas in the graphene patent flatland are already crowded with patents from corporate and academic players based in the US and Asia."
Despite being at the forefront of research into graphene, UK institutions have thus far shown little sign of capitalising on their pioneering work. That may be set to change as evidence emerges of patent filings in the graphene space by Manchester University, home of the researchers who first isolated the material, Professors Geim and Novoselov. Eight pending graphene patent filings in the name of Manchester University have recently come to light, including a new fluorinated graphene derivative with unusual properties. However, Manchester forms part of a very small UK presence in a crowded patent landscape dominated by the US, Korea and China.
Building on research into the role of academic institutions in the graphene patent landscape recently published in Nature Materials, CambridgeIP has analysed the whole global patent space around graphene and has produced a report focused on graphene technology ownership and the key challenges faced by corporations in commercialising this revolutionary new material. The report looks at the global state of play in ownership of graphene technology, and provides a snapshot of how the space is developing, including profiles of the key SME and multinational players.
The report and patent dataset is available for purchase through CambridgeIP's Knowledge and Innovation platform Boliven.com and through Bloomberg's Premium Research and Data Platform BMART.
About CambridgeIP & Boliven
CambridgeIP is a provider of business and technology intelligence and innovation strategy services to companies around the world. CambridgeIP’s work has been covered in leading publications, including the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, Nature Publishing Group and Bloomberg. CambridgeIP products include patent landscaping, competitor mapping and analysis, technology mapping, technology market research, technology evaluation, and M&A analysis.
CambridgeIP runs Boliven.com, a leading online information portal for R&D and IP professionals, making available over 100 million scientific and patent documents.
Boliven®, CambridgeIP® and IP Landscape® are registered trademarks of Cambridge Intellectual Property Ltd, All Rights Reserved.
Resources & Contact Details
For media enquiries about CambridgeIP and Boliven.com please contact media@cambridgeip.com.
• CambridgeIP Knowledge Centre – Graphene Report: http://www.cambridgeip.com/knowledge-centre/nanotechnology.html
• CambridgeIP Reports:
Graphene: http://www.boliven.com/boliven_landscapes/patenting_flatland_graphene
Nanotechology: http://www.boliven.com/boliven_landscapes/nanotechnology_patent_review
• CambridgeIP Knowledge Centre and key publications: http://www.cambridgeip.com/knowledge-centre/key-cambridgeip-publications.html