Promoting electric vehicle cell innovation diffusion considering patent licensing strategy: A combination of evolutionary game and optimization algorithm approach

Abstract

Electric vehicle cell industry is an emerging area with fierce competition on technical innovation, in which the patent holder can choose different innovation diffusion options to maximize the return; however, the strategy is unclear in certain scenarios. We tried to explain the question of how to maximize the patent holder’s return by appropriate patent license strategy to promote EV cell innovation diffusion, when competition and patent licensing relationship exist in the supply chain. A multistage and multichannel diffusion model of EV cell comprising the patent holder, EV cell producer and EV producers is developed; the evolutionary game is analyzed considering the competition among same stage players and patent licensing relationship among different stage players; and an optimization algorithm is introduced to find the maximum weighted object function of the patent holder. We established the multistage and multichannel diffusion model and found a nonlinear complex relationship between patent holder object function and the key factors including patent royalty pricing and innovation advantage coefficient; in addition, an optimization algorithm is developed based on adopters’ decision-making related with competition and patent licensing.