Exploring the Patent Collaboration Network of Bioenergy Technology: Evidence from Provinces along the Belt and Road in China

Abstract

Bioenergy is a significant renewable energy source with great potential for addressing global environmental challenges. This study aims to construct and analyze the patent collaboration network of bioenergy in Chinese provinces along the Belt and Road (BR) initiative. By collecting and analyzing co-patents from the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) between 1993 and 2017, this research investigates the network’s structure, evolution, and the provincial differences in bioenergy technology development. The results reveal an increasing number of co-patents since 2006. I-I, E-E, E-R, and E-U are common types of collaboration, and this paper believes that E-E will be the most important type in the future. The network is relatively sparse and in its early development stage. However, the cohesion of the network is gradually increasing, and it has good development potential. From the perspective of IPC, the scope of patents for bioenergy is relatively narrow, and the breadth and depth of research need to be improved. Moreover, the study highlights Guangdong as a promising province for bioenergy and emphasizes the close collaboration between provinces along the Belt and Road and those not along it, such as Guangdong and Jiangsu.