Methodology for the identification of new trends in emerging technologies: Blockchain as a case study

Abstract

The rate at which new emerging technologies are appearing has been increasing in recent times. This is an opportunity for those organizations that detect them and adapt early, but a threat in the case where they are overlooked due to unawareness of their appearance. The first indicators of the emergence of a new technology are derived from academic production, however, the methods for detecting these indicators are based on retrospective bibliographic analysis that does not allow the direct identification of new areas of application. This work develops a methodology for establishing trends in the potential applications of a new technology based on the results of bibliometric analysis. Such methodology has been contrasted in the concept of blockchain as an emerging technology with a high capacity for disruption.