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A patent landscape analysis for organic photovoltaic solar cells: Identifying the technology's development phase

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  • Lizin, Sebastien
  • Leroy, Julie
  • Delvenne, Catherine
  • Dijk, Marc
  • De Schepper, Ellen
  • Van Passel, Steven

Abstract

Organic photovoltaics (OPV) have developed into a vast research area. Progress in various directions has made it difficult to monitor the technology's precise development state. We offer a patent landscape analysis over all OPV devices, their substrates and encapsulation materials to provide an overview of patenting activity from a historical, organizational, geographical and technological point of view. Such an exercise is instrumental for private companies and research institutes aiming at both internal or external technology creation. We discuss our findings in the context of the Industrial Life Cycle model and find OPV still residing in the fluid technology development phase. Technology development is still following an exponential growth path, with the majority of patents coming from the Asian continent and in general private companies. For devices, the main technological focus can be traced back to the “H01L-031” international patent classification (IPC) main group. For the queried substrates, the most attention has gone to glass, but paper and textile have drawn significant interest too. Finally, encapsulation is found to be a less mature research field given the smaller number of patent families. The latter shows that the technology has not matured to the level where processing is carried out on a commercial scale.

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  • Lizin, Sebastien & Leroy, Julie & Delvenne, Catherine & Dijk, Marc & De Schepper, Ellen & Van Passel, Steven, 2013. "A patent landscape analysis for organic photovoltaic solar cells: Identifying the technology's development phase," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 5-11.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:57:y:2013:i:c:p:5-11
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2013.01.027
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    Cited by:

    1. Martin Kalthaus, 2020. "Knowledge recombination along the technology life cycle," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 643-704, July.
    2. Sampaio, Priscila Gonçalves Vasconcelos & González, Mario Orestes Aguirre & de Vasconcelos, Rafael Monteiro & dos Santos, Marllen Aylla Teixeira & de Toledo, José Carlos & Pereira, Jonathan Paulo Pinh, 2018. "Photovoltaic technologies: Mapping from patent analysis," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 215-224.
    3. Chang, Shu-Hao & Fan, Chin-Yuan, 2016. "Identification of the technology life cycle of telematics: A patent-based analytical perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 1-10.
    4. Bruns, Stephan B. & Kalthaus, Martin, 2020. "Flexibility in the selection of patent counts: Implications for p-hacking and evidence-based policymaking," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(1).
    5. Hu, Ziyang & Zhang, Jianjun & Huang, Like & Sun, Jingyang & Zhang, Ting & He, Hongyun & Zhang, Jing & Zhang, Houcheng & Zhu, Yuejin, 2015. "Natural drying effect on active layer for achieving high performance in polymer solar cells," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 11-17.
    6. Sungho Son & Nam-Wook Cho, 2020. "Technology Fusion Characteristics in the Solar Photovoltaic Industry of South Korea: A Patent Network Analysis Using IPC Co-Occurrence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-19, October.
    7. Mueller, Simon C. & Sandner, Philipp G. & Welpe, Isabell M., 2015. "Monitoring innovation in electrochemical energy storage technologies: A patent-based approach," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 537-544.
    8. Benson, Christopher L. & Magee, Christopher L., 2014. "On improvement rates for renewable energy technologies: Solar PV, wind turbines, capacitors, and batteries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 745-751.
    9. Chandra, Praveena & Dong, Andy, 2018. "The relation between knowledge accumulation and technical value in interdisciplinary technologies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 235-244.
    10. Wang, Xiaoli & Daim, Tugrul & Huang, Lucheng & Li, Zhiqiang & Shaikh, Ruqia & Kassi, Diby Francois, 2022. "Monitoring the development trend and competition status of high technologies using patent analysis and bibliographic coupling: The case of electronic design automation technology," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    11. Huang, Hung-Chun & Su, Hsin-Ning, 2019. "The innovative fulcrums of technological interdisciplinarity: An analysis of technology fields in patents," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 84, pages 59-70.

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