Patent-based R&D strategies: The case of STMicroelectronics' Lab-on-Chip

Abstract

R&D strategy formulation represents a critical task for those firms that base their competitive advantage on innovation. Different sources of information must be accessed in this respect, among which patents. Conventional patent analysis has commonly focused on factual information, while less scholarly attention has been devoted to the strategic role of patent analysis in supporting R&D strategic planning. Accordingly to this view, we conducted a case study of a multinational company that performed several patent analysis to enter in a new market domain. Although these findings can not be generalized, they shed new lights on the several tasks patent analysis might perform and the relevance to conceive patent information as a source of Business Intelligence Systems. In this respect, firms might include patent analysis as part of their Decision Support Systems and, consequently, invest in new competences and skills in order to handle complexity linked to the increasing amount of available patent data. © Springer-Verlag 2011.