An experiment model of grounded theory and chance discovery for scenario exploration

Abstract

To explore the scenario of a technology is a valuable task for managers and stakeholders to grasp the overall situation of that technology. Solar cell, one of renewable energies, is growing at a fast pace with its unexhausted and non-polluted characters. In addition, the patent data contains plentiful technological information from which is worthwhile to extract further knowledge. Therefore, an experiment model has been proposed so as to analyze the patent data, to form the scenario, and to explore the tendency of solar cell technology. Finally, the relation patterns were identified, the directions of solar cell technology were recognized, the active companies and vital countries in solar cell industry were also observed. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.