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Measuring Innovation in the Mining Industry with Patents
Economic Research Working Paper No. 56
Traditionally, the mining sector has been considered a slow innovator compared to other industries, like the manufacturing or pharmaceutical industries. However, we observe an upsurge in the innovation activity of the mining industry in the first half of the 2000s. During this period, mining innovation started to increase rapidly after periods of stagnation and downward trends. To conduct and in-depth investigation of the global trends and patterns behind this structural change in mining innovation, we formulated a general search strategy to identify patent activity in this sector. The strategy is repeatable over time and in multiple databases. It enabled us to produce a dataset of patents in mining and mining-related technologies. Using this newly-created database we identified at the basis of the structural change a switch away from refining technologies into exploration and environmental technologies probably explained by the took over of the so-called 4th Industrial Revolution. The types of actors active in the mining innovation also changed across time: there are now many more individuals, research centers and universities innovating in mining and relatively less companies. Finally, the country composition in the pool of mining innovation activity has radically changed with the appearance of China on the global scene starting from early 2000.
Publication year: 2019
Innovation in the Mining Sector and Cycles in Commodity Prices
Economic Research Working Paper No. 55
This paper analyses the evolution of innovation in the mining sector and how this innovation responds to the economic environment, in particular to changes in commodity prices. For this purpose, we combine commodity price data with innovation data as proxied by patent filings extracted from a novel unit record database containing comprehensive patent and firm level data for the mining sector from 1970 to 2015. We include patents registered both by mining companies and mining equipment, technology and service (METS) firms. With a multi-country panel analysis, we find that innovation in the mining sector is cyclical. Innovation increases in periods of high commodity prices while decreasing during commodity price recessions. Our results suggest that innovation increases mostly with long price cycle variations, while mostly unaffected by medium and short cycles. METS related innovation seem the driving force of this mechanism. In contrast, countries specializing in mining industries are found to be slower in reacting to price changes.
Innovation and IP Rights in the Chilean Copper Mining Sector: The Role of the Mining, Equipment, Technology and Services Firms
Economic Research Working Paper No. 54
This analysis of intellectual property (IP) protection practices among mining equipment, technology and services suppliers (METS) in Chile's copper mining sector adds to a body of literature that has hitherto focused on high-income countries. It is based on data collated from an online survey of resident METS and on semi-structured interviews of executives from mining companies and suppliers, including two universities. The main conclusion is that, although METS appear to be innovative in relation to the mining sector and the economy as a whole, only a few use intellectual property rights (IPRs) to protect their innovations. The main reasons for this finding appear to be the cost and expected complexity of the registration process. Another noteworthy finding is the view that Chile has the requisite legal IPR expertise, but commercial capabilities (expertise in IPR-based innovation management and business plans) are much less developed. In the last section, four case studies of product and process innovation by four mining suppliers add some interesting insights to the analysis.
Technology Appropriation and Technology Transfer in the Brazilian Mining Sector
Economic Research Working Paper No. 53
This paper focuses on the competitive dynamics, strategic challenges, technological needs and institutional innovation-promoting arrangements in Brazil's mining sector in order to identify the ways in which mining firms and mining equipment, technology and services suppliers (METS) handle innovation appropriation and technology transfer in the country. As the main sample consisted of resident and non-resident companies, the key technological areas of mining-related patenting in Brazil and the main patent stakeholders have been identified. The analysis of technology transfer among firms and to other mining industry stakeholders, mainly universities, drew on import contracts and highlighted the role played by foreign METS. A case study of Vale S.A., Brazil's largest mining enterprise, has been included, with emphasis on Vale's strategies to mitigate external challenges and to meet technological needs through innovation.
Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks; Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement; Regulations; Administrative Instructions.
The system of international registration of marks is governed by the Madrid Agreement. The Protocol relating to that Agreement aims at rendering the Madrid system more flexible and more compatible with the domestic legislation of certain countries which had not been able to accede to the Agreement.
Report of the Director General to the 2018 WIPO Assemblies
This report is a presentation of the work accomplished by the Organization during the year that has passed since the last meeting of the WIPO Assemblies.
Publication year: 2018
Measuring innovation in energy technologies: green patents as captured by WIPO's IPC green inventory
Economic Research Working Paper No. 44
We analyze inventions in green energy technologies over the period 2005-2017. We use a novel dataset, making use of the IPC Green Inventory of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to analyze four broad categories of green energy technologies including alternative energy production technologies, energy conservation technologies, and green transportation. We use these data to look at how patent families and PCT international patent applications have evolved in this field in recent years. We find that energy innovation-related patenting has first expanded exponentially up until 2013, both in terms of the total number of patent families and PCT international patent applications in green energy technologies. Yet this period of accelerated growth in the number of published green energy patents has been followed by a period of deceleration—even a slow decline. Although most green energy technologies have seen a downward trend in the annual number of patents published since 2012, the decline has been most pronounced in nuclear power generation technologies and alternative energy production technologies. The latter notably include renewable energy technologies, such as solar and wind energy, and fuel cells. In contrast, patents in energy conservation technologies and green transportation technologies have continued to grow, but at a slower pace.
Inventing the Future
An Introduction to Patents for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
In today's knowledge economy, companies must constantly innovate and come up with new ideas and solutions to stay ahead. These innovative ideas and solutions may be protected by patent rights. This guide explains the patent system and how businesses may use it in their business strategy in simple and practical terms.
Madrid Yearly Review 2018 - Executive Summary
International Registration of Marks
This document provides the key trends in the use of the WIPO-administered Madrid System. This edition provides a summary of the statistics reported in the Madrid Yearly Review 2018.
WIPO Technology Trends 2019 – Artificial Intelligence
This report is the first in a new series from WIPO tracking the development of technologies through the analysis of data on innovation activities. It reveals trends in patenting of artificial intelligence (AI) innovations, the top players in AI from industry and academia, and the geographical distribution of AI-related patent protection and scientific publications. Its findings are accompanied throughout by commentary and industry perspectives from more than 20 of the world's leading experts in AI, making it of particular interest to business leaders, researchers and policymakers.