Title: The new scope of knowledge spillover to develop the functionality of technologies

Authors: Yosuke Shibata, Tomoko Saiki

Addresses: Department of Technology Management, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 3-3-6-907S Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo 180-0023, Japan. ' Department of Technology Management, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 3-3-6-907S Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo 180-0023, Japan

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to propose a new scope of knowledge spillover between technologies by demonstrating how knowledge spillover affects the development of technologies. We use the number of patent applications as proxy of development of technologies. As a case of this study, we group energy technologies, lithium-ion battery (LIB) as a product, into two groups using international patent classification (IPC). We group them into |simple technology| which belongs to one technology segment of LIB, and |complex technology| which belongs to two or more technology segments. The result shows that, in the innovation process of LIB, R&D fields have diversified gradually according to the increase of complex technology. It is also shown that simple technology as technology groups leading the innovation is replaced by complex technology, which is suggested to involve knowledge spillover, in the electrode technology.

Keywords: social systems science; knowledge spillover; innovation process; energy technology; technology functionality; patent applications; lithium ion batteries; LIB; International Patent Classification; IPC; simple technology; complex technology; technology development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSS.2010.035568

International Journal of Society Systems Science, 2010 Vol.2 No.4, pp.334 - 350

Published online: 30 Sep 2010 *

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