Patent scouting is a process of identifying and evaluating emerging technologies that can be acquired, licensed, or co-developed by a company to enhance its innovation capabilities and competitive edge. Patent scouting can help companies find new opportunities, solve existing challenges, and avoid potential threats in the dynamic and complex technological landscape. In this blog post, we will share some best practices and tips for conducting effective patent scouting.
Define the objective and scope of patent scouting:Â Before starting the patent scouting process, it is important to have a clear and specific objective and scope. What is the purpose of patent scouting? What are the technology domains and markets of interest? What are the criteria and indicators of relevant and valuable technologies? Having a well-defined objective and scope can help to narrow down the search and focus on the most promising technologies.
Use a variety of sources and methods for patent scouting:Â Patent scouting can be done using different sources and methods, such as patent databases, scientific literature, industry reports, news articles, social media, conferences, trade shows, competitions, and expert interviews. Each source and method has its own advantages and limitations, and can provide different perspectives and insights on the technologies. Therefore, it is advisable to use a combination of sources and methods to obtain a comprehensive and balanced view of the technologies.
Apply a systematic and structured approach for patent scouting:Â Patent scouting can be a complex and time-consuming process, involving a large amount of data and information. To make the process more efficient and effective, it is recommended to apply a systematic and structured approach, such as the following steps:
Search: Use appropriate keywords, operators, and filters to search for relevant patents and other documents in the sources and methods chosen.
Analyze: Use various tools and techniques, such as patent landscaping, patent mapping, patent citation analysis, patent valuation, and patent quality assessment, to analyze the patents and other documents retrieved, and identify the key features, trends, patterns, gaps, and opportunities of the technologies.
Evaluate: Use a set of criteria and indicators, such as novelty, inventiveness, industrial applicability, market potential, technical feasibility, legal risk, and strategic fit, to evaluate the technologies and rank them according to their relevance and value for the company.
Report: Use a suitable format and style, such as tables, charts, graphs, diagrams, summaries, and recommendations, to report the results and findings of the patent scouting process, and highlight the most promising technologies and the actions to be taken.
Collaborate and communicate with internal and external stakeholders for patent scouting. Patent scouting is not a one-person or one-department job. It requires the collaboration and communication of various internal and external stakeholders, such as R&D, marketing, business development, legal, IP, management, customers, suppliers, partners, competitors, inventors, and experts. By involving and engaging these stakeholders, patent scouting can benefit from their knowledge, expertise, feedback, and network, and increase the chances of finding and acquiring the best technologies for the company.
Given the above, Patent scouting is a valuable and strategic activity for companies that want to innovate and compete in the fast-changing and competitive technological environment. By following these best practices and tips, companies can conduct patent scouting more effectively and efficiently, and discover and exploit the technologies that can make a difference for their business.
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