Exploring the relationship between technology diffusion and new material diffusion: the example of advanced ceramic powders

Abstract

New technologies have been recognized as key drivers for corporate profitability and growth in today's fast changing environments, especially in new materials field. However, little has been done in discussing the technology diffusion on the topic of new materials. In this study, we investigate the diffusion of advanced ceramic powders technology using patent citation data. We also adopt the sales data of the advanced ceramic powders for measuring the new material diffusion. At last we analyze the relationship between “technology diffusion” and “material diffusion” through the Bass diffusion model. The results show that the diffusion of technology through patent citation could be successfully explained by empirical analysis for which the Bass diffusion model was adopted. Furthermore, we can find out if technology diffusion can be the leading indicator of a new material's diffusion before its launching which is before the commercialization of the patent.