Exploring potential R&D collaboration partners through patent analysis based on bibliographic coupling and latent semantic analysis

The aim of the present research is to provide a new systematic methodology to explore potential R&D collaboration partners using patent information. The potential R&D collaboration partners are visualized as a patent assignee level-map based on technological similarity between patents by using network analysis. The proposed framework utilises two analytic methods to measure technological similarity. The first method, bibliographic coupling analysis, measures technological similarity based on the citation relationship using patent bibliographic information. Second, latent semantic analysis is utilized based on semantic similarity using patent textual information. The fuel cell membrane electrode assembly (MEA) technology field is selected and applied to illustrate the proposed methodology. The proposed approach allows firms, universities, research institutes, governments to identify potential R&D collaborators as a systematic decision-making support tool.This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Technology Analysis and Strategic Management on the 22nd of October 2014, available online: http://wwww.tandfonline.com/10.1080/09537325.2014.971004. This version will be under embargo until the 22nd of April 2016