Nanotechnology Patents Research Articles

Mapping the Nanotechnology Patent Landscape in the Field of Cancer.

Currently, cancer is still a significant disease that seriously endangers human health. Therefore, advanced diagnostic technology and treatment protocols are urgently needed. The rapid development of nanotechnology is expected to provide new ideas for cancer diagnosis and treatment. The research aims to comprehensively demonstrate the hotspots of nanotechnology applications in cancer. In this study, an International Patent Classification codes co-occurrence network is constructed to visualize the technology landscape by simultaneously locating and ranking technologies that play an integral role in nanotechnology diffusion and bridging in the field of cancer. In addition, community identification and topic modeling highlight the latent topics in patent documents. The visualization results of the patent network yield five main clusters: Cluster 0 is a nanoparticle composition delivery system with liposomes as the primary carrier. Cluster 1 is mainly represented by nano-immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Cluster 2 is nano phototherapy based on photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy. Cluster 3 is diagnostic imaging involving nanotechnology. Cluster 4 is a drug delivery system with nanovesicles and albumin nanoparticles as carriers. It was found that carriers represented by liposomes, vesicles, and albumin nanoparticles are essential nanomaterials in the current anticancer drug delivery systems. Integrating next-generation immunosuppressants and nanotechnology will become an important development direction for future immunotherapy. Organic/inorganic nanomaterials are pivotal in cancer imaging diagnosis and phototherapy.

Recent advances in nanomedicine preparative methods and their therapeutic potential for colorectal cancer: a critical review.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent malignancy that affects a large percentage of the global population. The conventional treatments for CRC have a number of limitations. Nanoparticles have emerged as a promising cancer treatment method due to their ability to directly target cancer cells and regulate drug release, thereby enhancing therapeutic efficacy and minimizing side effects. This compilationexamines the use of nanoparticles as drug delivery systems for CRC treatment. Different nanomaterials can be used to administer anticancer drugs, including polymeric nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, liposomes, and solid lipid nanoparticles. In addition, we discuss recent developments in nanoparticle preparation techniques, such as solvent evaporation, salting-out, ion gelation, and nanoprecipitation. These methods have demonstrated high efficacy in penetrating epithelial cells, a prerequisite for effective drug delivery. This article focuses on the various targeting mechanisms utilized by CRC-targeted nanoparticles and their recent advancements in this field. In addition, the review offers descriptive information regarding numerous nano-preparative procedures for colorectal cancer treatments. We also discuss the outlook for innovative therapeutic techniques in the management of CRC, including the potential application of nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery. The review concludes with a discussion of current nanotechnology patents and clinical studies used to target and diagnose CRC. The results of this investigation suggest that nanoparticles have great potential as a method of drug delivery for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Twenty years of US nanopatenting: Maintenance renewal scoring as an indicator of patent value

This paper introduces a new measure of patent value – Maintenance Renewal Score (MRSc) – reflecting assignee valuing the patent by paying successive renewal fees. We generate MRSc's for nanotechnology patents issued by the US Patent Office from 1999 through 2009, with US assignees and US inventors. Patenting increases over this period, coincident with increased US funding of nanotechnology R&D. We compare maintenance rates over the period, and against a comparison set of all 1999 USPTO grants to US inventors/assignees. We find differences in propensity to maintain the nanopatents by institution type, technological sector, and patent complexity.

The case of sleeping beauties in nanotechnology: a study of potential breakthrough inventions in emerging technologies

This study aims to determine whether innovation depends on long-term patterns of interactions in technology and science, using patents in nanotechnology. The previous literature has distinguished between a technology’s degree of novelty (science-base) and degree of technological impact, highlighting that links to the science-base will lead to more breakthrough inventions, due to distant recombinations. We extend the debate by distinguishing two types of science linkages, “direct and strong science-base” and “indirect and more diverse science-base.” To find long-term patterns, we developed an empirical strategy to study nanotechnology patents through the metaphor of “sleeping beauties”, e.g., delayed recognition and high impact. We show that sleeping beauties occur more frequently in nanotechnology than in the general population of patents, so nanotechnology is an emerging technology that may delay breakthrough inventions. As expected, both types of science linkages create a higher impact. Contrary to expectations, however, neither “direct and strong science-base” (proxied by university ownership) nor “indirect and more diverse science-base” (proxied by the non-patent literature) are significant. Although this emerging technology has many science linkages, these do not cause a delayed impact. Control variables of IPC application class and company ownership do matter. We conceptualize that these are typical characteristics when firms combine several technologies for industrial innovation. Among other contributions, we propose that the non-patent literature should not be considered a proxy for science linkages in general, but instead this reflects a search amongst various types of codified as well as informal technological and scientific knowledge. We suggest that the long-term patterns of delayed recognition and high impact in science-based technologies may require the firms to recombine multiple technologies, specializations, and industrial applications in order to do industrial invention.

Spatio-temporal clustering analysis and technological forecasting of nanotechnology using patent data

ABSTRACT This paper proposes to scrutinise the evolution of technological diversification of organisations whose activities are mainly nanotechnologies. We resort to the InnoVue search platform to gather patent information related to the world's largest intellectual property organisations. We apply a five-step analysis on a panel dataset of 16042 distinct patents published between 1985 and 2020 and recorded on June 29, 2021. Text mining has been employed to explore key topics with high-level technological activeness, while a trend analysis has been applied to study diversification characteristics and evolution patterns. Moreover, we initiate spatial autocorrelation modelling to detect spatiotemporal patterns of technical innovation in nanotechnology. Results show that nanobiotechnology and nanophotonics have become new technical hotspots over the last decade. Furthermore, spatial analysis returns a significant clustered pattern among nanotechnology patent distributions and shows that nanotechnology activities were mainly concentrated in Asian countries during the period under study. Our research has policy implications and may interest decision-makers and academics looking to explore nanotechnology's evolution.

The Role of Articles in Science–Technology Relationship: A Topic Analysis of Non-patent Literature (NPL) References

Patents with non-patent literature (NPL) references indicate how the link between science and technology interact. Using topic modeling, this paper investigated the thematic relationship between patents and their cited articles in the field of Nanotechnology. For this purpose, patents in the field of nanotechnology (IPC Class: B82) were obtained from the United States Patent and Trademark Office from 1985 to 2019. Then, NPL references listed in “Other References” section of the patents was extracted and abstract of the NPL references was retrieved from Scopus database. R software, topic modeling, and Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm were used to analyze the data. Results showed that most of the subclasses in Nanotechnology use few NPL references and are more dependent on patents. In total, NPL references account for only 36% of patent citations. The topics of the NPL references in this field (nanotechnology) belonged to six categories: Physics, Electricity, Chemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Medicine, and Nanotechnology. Consequently, it seems that nanotechnology patents are more technology-driven, and a medium to low relationship exists between science and nanotechnology. The topic modeling of NPL references uncovered that nanotechnology patents have been more influenced by non-nano scientific.

Science, technology, and innovation policy timing and nanotechnology entrepreneurship and innovation.

The timing of science, technology, and innovation (STI) policy initiatives is critical to the outcomes that they produce. This study examines the advantages and disadvantages of enacting STI policy investments early in a nascent domain of activity. Building on work across multiple disciplines, we propose a framework to better understand the temporal dynamics of STI policy. An examination of data on nanotechnology STI policy around the world shows that the timing and funding size is related to entrepreneurship and innovation in different ways. The findings reveal that countries that started funding national STI programs in nanotechnology later had a lower proportion of the total nanotechnology firms, patents, and publications in the world, which suggests some first-mover advantages to STI policy. However, this is only part of the story. Countries that had large programs after the technology had gained legitimacy had the opposite situation such that there was a higher proportion of the total nanotechnology firms, patents, and publication in the world and more nanotechnology-related patents per capita and firms relative to other firms in the country explicating some of the complexity of policy timing. We discuss how temporal considerations influence both the theory and practice of building systems of innovation.

Patentability of Nanotechnology Inventions: A Study Based on Decisions by the Examination Division of the European Patent Organisation, the Opposition Division and the Technical Board of Appeal

Abstract The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has identified nanotechnology as one of the prominent technologies of recent times (WIPO Magazine ‒ August 2011). Nanotechnology has a wide variety of applications in the field of medicine which are leading to the evolution of a new branch of medical science – nanomedicine. This involves using particles or materials within the size range of one nanometre and a thousand nanometres to diagnose, treat, and prevent various diseases. Biomedical nanotechnology, bionanotechnology, and nanomedicines are applications of nanotechnology in medicine and this article covers these three areas under the umbrella-term ‘nanomedicines.’ The European Union is a significant player in the wider nanotechnology market (including nanomedicines). At the European Patent Office (EPO), the number of nanotechnology patent applications (including nanomedicines) is increasing every year. The European Patent Convention (EPC) – the unified European patent system – came into existence in 1973. It provided patent protection for valid technologies according to the patentability criteria provided by EPC, and Art. 27(1) of TRIPS directs its signatories to offer patent protection for every technology equally. However, nanotechnology’s unique nature poses a threat to the existing patent law. This paper critically analyses certain decisions by the EPO and its Boards of Appeal considering the technological speciality of nanotechnology inventions with reference to nanomedicines.

Modern Level of Research, Innovation, and Patent Activities in Ukraine

Introduction. The development of patent and innovation is impossible without a strong scientific base. That is why the R&D potential of the state is one of the main factors that reflect the level of both economic and technical level of its development. Unfortunately, the level of patent innovation in Ukraine is low, despite the strong R&D potential. Problem statement. The efficiency of innovations, trends in nanotechnology patenting, and the level of nanotechnology development in Ukraine are mainly determined by the qualifications of Ukrainian researchers. Therefore, preserving the R&D potential of Ukraine and preventing its outflow abroad are among the most pressing problems today. Purpose. To determine the role of R&D in the economy of Ukraine and the world, the level of publications of Ukrainian authors, the effectiveness, patent circulation, and prospects of innovations in Ukraine. To characterize the world market of nanotechnologies and the level of development of nanotechnologies in Ukraine and to provide a forecast of innovative development in Ukraine and the world. Materials and Methods. Statistical data of R&D potential of Ukraine, number of research works in Ukraine, materials on the quantitative and qualitative level of scholarly research publications of Ukrainian authors, patent circulation, the efficiency of innovations in Ukraine for the period 2010-2017, for forecasting of innovative development in Ukraine and the world on the coming decades. Results. The R&D potential of Ukraine, the current level of nanotechnology, innovation, and trends in their further development have been evaluated. The innovative development in Ukraine and the world until 2030 has been forecasted. Conclusions. Ukraine has a strong R&D potential, but the level of patent and innovation activity in Ukraine is low. Against the background of the integration of Ukrainian researchers into the world community, there is a significant increase in the number of joint scholarly research publications of Ukrainian researchers with foreign colleagues.

Impact of Nanotechnology Patents on Green Development of China's Building Industry

The sustainable development of the building industry has drawn increasing attention around the world. Nanomaterials and nanotechnology play an important role in the processes of energy saving and reducing consumption in the building industry. Nanotechnology patents provide key technological support for the green development of the building industry. Based on patent data in China, this paper quantitatively analyzed the application of nanotechnology patents in the building industry and the time trend, regional differences, and evolution of China's nano-patent applications in the building field. In this study, the environmental total factor productivity of the building industry considering carbon constraints was determined and then used as the dependent variable to measure the green development of the building industry. On this basis, a panel data regression model was constructed to determine the impact of nano-patents on the green development of the building industry. Nanotechnology patents in the building industry can significantly improve total factor productivity. From the perspective of patent composition, technology-based patents that focus on substantial innovation can significantly promote the green development of the building industry, whereas strategic patents show a significant inhibitory effect. Regionally, the western region of China has the advantage of being less developed and thus more efficient than the central and eastern regions in the application of new nano-products. Finally, the research also showed a significant lag in the application of China's nanotechnology patents and low implementation efficiency. Nano patents can promote green development in the building industry, but there is room for improvement in the speed with which laboratory inventions are transformed into building engineering applications.

Nanotechnology and Protection of Intellectual Property: Emerging Trends.

Technology experts foresee that nanotechnology is the next industrial revolution and it has great potential to bring solutions to many challenges of global relevance in terms of a diverse range of applications. Efficiency-driven economies are transforming into innovation-driven economies where Intellectual Property (IP) plays a pivotal role in achieving a competitive advantage. Whereas industry analysts assert that IP roadblocks will be a severe detriment to the development of nanotechnology due to infringements and high-profile patent battles. Various authors have made a significant effort to analyse the implications of IP on nanotechnology but most of the published literature covers only the years 2000- 2010. Data and insights pertaining to recent developments are lagging behind. Therefore, the objective of this review was to explore cutting-edge empirical evidence towards emerging trends of Intellectual Property protection in nanotechnology, thereby to provide insights aimed at unleashing the full potential of nanotechnology innovation for socio-economic advantage. Patent information over the period 2000 to 2018 was collated and analysed to determine the latest trends. To gain a global perspective, nanotechnology patents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and nanotechnology patents published in the 'PatentScope' of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) were surveyed along with literature in relation to nanotechnology commercialization and litigation. Our study revealed that worldwide protection of Intellectual Property in nanotechnology has steadily been increasing year-on-year accounting 3.3 million patent applications filed in 2018 in which China and U.S. are dominating. The other main contributors are Japan, Germany Republic of Korea, France and U.K. Asia has emerged as the single region to file more than half of total filings for the first time thus shifting global IP landscape from Europe to Asia. Another notable finding is that there is a significant growth in trademark registration in many of the leading economies. Top five technology fields with high international patenting activity are computer technology, medical technology, digital communication, electrical machinery and pharmaceuticals where computer technology is dominating. More than 90% of the total patents are granted on materials, devices and processes developed as basic building blocks of nanotechnology at laboratory level which sound as more downstream innovations in the short-term. Amid the upward trends in nanotechnology patenting, newly emerging obstacles pose risks to innovation. A key finding of the present study is that the increasing trend of patent litigation almost follows the same path of patent grants indicating a positive correlation. A global prominence of middle-income and low-income countries in patent filing is yet to emerge which foreshadows an IP divide. A secondary market for patent assets is pronounced with many new types of players leading to a high cost of patenting nanotechnology. These trends foreshadow a surge of patent filings in the years to come and.the patent offices will be confronted with that 'surge' of patent applications of increased complexity and multidisciplinary nature..Patent offices with inadequate efficacy will ultimately produce lowquality patents along with a difficulty to enter into markets and will facilitate exploiting of the IP legal systems to extract rewards for infringement without contributing to innovation or social prosperity of nations. Insights and recommendations given in this paper will enable nanotechnology researchers, inventors, technopreneurs and investors to understand recent trends and global perspectives on implications of IP in nanotechnology and intensifying IP battle thereby to contemplate and succeed in their roadmaps towards leveraging on nanotechnology.

Modern Level of Research, Innovation, and Patent Activities in Ukraine

Introduction. The development of patent and innovation is impossible without a strong scientific base. That is why the R&D potential of the state is one of the main factors that reflect the level of both economic and technical level of its development. Unfortunately, the level of patent innovation in Ukraine is low, despite the strong R&D potential. Problem statement. The efficiency of innovations, trends in nanotechnology patenting, and the level of nanotechnology development in Ukraine are mainly determined by the qualifications of Ukrainian researchers. Therefore, preserving the R&D potential of Ukraine and preventing its outflow abroad are among the most pressing problems today. Purpose. To determine the role of R&D in the economy of Ukraine and the world, the level of publications of Ukrainian authors, the effectiveness, patent circulation, and prospects of innovations in Ukraine. To characterize the world market of nanotechnologies and the level of development of nanotechnologies in Ukraine and to provide a forecast of innovative development in Ukraine and the world. Materials and Methods. Statistical data of R&D potential of Ukraine, number of research works in Ukraine, materials on the quantitative and qualitative level of scholarly research publications of Ukrainian authors, patent circulation, the efficiency of innovations in Ukraine for the period 2010—2017, for forecasting of innovative development in Ukraine and the world on the coming decades. Results. The R&D potential of Ukraine, the current level of nanotechnology, innovation, and trends in their further development have been evaluated. The innovative development in Ukraine and the world until 2030 has been forecasted. Conclusions. Ukraine has a strong R&D potential, but the level of patent and innovation activity in Ukraine is low. Against the background of the integration of Ukrainian researchers into the world community, there is a significant increase in the number of joint scholarly research publications of Ukrainian researchers with foreign colleagues.

A Framework for Valuation and Prioritization of Patents Using a Combined MADM Approach. Case Study: Nanotechnology

Patent valuation and prioritization is one of the main activities for the management of intellectual property assets in an organization. So far, numerous attempts have been made to determine the value of patents, some of which have not been efficient due to ignoring some effective dimensions or considering the same importance for all aspects. To overcome this challenge, this research aims to provide a framework for valuing and prioritizing patents using a combination of MADM methods. For this purpose, first, the indicators for patent valuation and prioritization were taken from the literature and aggregated and finalized based on opinions of experts of technology management as well as nanotechnology in the form of a Delphi method. Second, the indicators were weighted, and their importance specified based on expert opinions using the questionnaire tool and stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) method. Third, the additive ratio assessment (ARAS) method was used to value and prioritize the patents. For this reason, 12 nanotechnology patents, registered in 2016 at the Iranian Administration of Registration of Documents, were valued and ultimately prioritized. The results from the criteria weights indicate that commercial and market potential and the economic value should be selected as the most critical dimensions. Also, among the indicators, the project investment cost, the costs of production and commercialization and the economic relevance, were selected as the most critical indicators. Among the 12 patents examined, “Gelatin-Chitosan/Carbon Nanotube Composite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications” was identified as the most valuable patent.

Comparing nanotechnology landscapes in the US and China: a patent analysis perspective

The United States (US) and the People’s Republic of China (China) have the most patents in nanotechnology in their own depositories and overall in the international depositories. This paper compares nanotechnology landscapes between 2001 and 2017 as reflected in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA). It presents the evolution of nanotechnology patent development in the US and China, the differences between nanotechnology topics addressed in the USPTO and CNIPA patents, key players in nanotechnology fields in both domestic and foreign markets, and the player collaboration patterns. Bibliographic, content, and social network analyses are used. The longitudinal changes of granted patents and ranked countries, patent families, technology fields, and key players in domestic and overseas markets are outlined. Collaboration networks of assignees and the influential players have been identified based on network parameters. Results show that the US market attracts more international collaborations and has a higher level of knowledge exchange and resource sharing than the Chinese market. Companies play a vital role with regard to US nanotechnology development, resulting in more within-industry collaborations. In contrast, universities and research institutes are the dominant contributors to China’s nanotechnology development, leading to more academia-industry collaborations in China’s market.

Recombination sources and breakthrough inventions: university-developed technology versus firm-developed technology

We examine how recombining university-developed technology and recombining firm-developed technology differently impact the development of breakthrough inventions. Given that university-developed technology reflects the focus on basic science from university research, and firm-developed technology reflects its applied and context-dependent nature, we propose that recombining them has opposite effects on inventions. Recombining university-developed technology increases the likelihood of generating a breakthrough invention, while recombining firm-developed technology decreases the likelihood. Boundary crossing recombination interacts with the two types of sources, positively moderating the effects of recombining university- and firm-developed technology on the likelihood of generating breakthrough inventions. Drawing on a sample of U.S. nanotechnology patents, we find broad support for our hypotheses. The findings imply that aggregating the effects of recombined technologies from different sources may cause us to overlook the negative effect of recombining firm-developed technology in generating breakthrough inventions.

STATE, TRENDS, AND STRUCTURE OF THE WORLD NANO-POWDER MARKET

The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the global nanopowder market. Materials and methods. The study used such research methods as system-logical method, method of statistical generalization, comparative and factor analysis. Research results. It is known that nanopowders are obtained by chemical, physical, physico-chemical and mechanical methods. One of the major problems in the production of nanopowders is the tendency of nanoparticles to form aggregates and agglomerates that complicate the production of compact materials. To overcome the forces of agglomeration, a mechanical force or an increase in the sintering temperature must be applied. According to estimates from the consulting company Lux Research, in 2012, the nanotechnology market was $ 190.3 billion. Its annual growth is 15-17%. The world market leaders are the United States ($ 59 billion), Europe ($ 47 billion) and the Asia Pacific region ($ 9.4 billion). The US is the leader in both the commercial market and the number of publications (about 25,000 in 2015) and patents in nanotechnology (45% of patents). Following the results of 2015, more than $1.4 trillion worth of nanotechnology products were manufactured. In the structure of production of nanoproducts the chemical industry, scientific researches (intermediary products, as a rule, not serial) and electronics are leading. Global investments in nanotechnology in 2015 totaled $ 18.1 billion. This indicator increased by 18% compared to 2013. Corporate investments ($ 8.6 billion) became the main source of financing (public - only $ 8.3 billion). The leaders in terms of public investment are the US and the EU. Experts estimate that, by 2020, investment leadership may shift to Japan. Today, the leader in the nanomaterials market is the United States with a projected revenue level of 2018 of $ 1.46 billion. The main products on the world market for nanopowders are metal oxide powders. In the product group of metal oxides 4/5 the production volume accounts for the three most common types of raw materials: silica (SiO2), titanium dioxide (TiO2) and alumina (Al2O3). At the same time, silica occupies more than half of all production, alumina - 18% and titanium dioxide - 10%. The most available oxides are oxides of iron, zinc, cerium, zirconium, cuprum, magnesium, yttrium. The most complex oxides and mixtures are: tin oxide, barium titanate, cobalt carbide, silicon nitride and indium tin oxide. An analysis of the patents presented for nanopowder research has shown that the most promising area of ​​scientific development is aluminum and precious metal nanopowders. Conclusions. Analysis of the world nanopowder market makes it possible to identify the following indicators that characterize its development: the common problem in the nanomaterials market is high cost of production, low volume of production and accessibility for the end consumer; the most developed nanopowder markets: USA, Europe and Asia-Pacific; projected growth rates during 2015-2020 The three largest components of the nanomaterials market: energy, production of catalysts, structural materials - 60%, 13% and 30% respectively; production of metal oxide products prevails in the world market of nanopowders; the most common types of raw materials: silica) - more than half of all production, titanium dioxide - 10% and alumina - 18%.

Patents and Nanotechnology Innovation in Mexico.

This paper examines nanotechnology patents in Mexico to gain some insights into: a) the growth of patents over the last twenty years; b) the distribution of assignee patents between private and public institutions; b) the economic sectors engaged in nanotechnology R&D; and, c) whether R&D is oriented to basic research or more applied science and engineering. The present research employs the DG concordance system. This approach establishes a procedure to match patents according to their potential use in economic sectors. The research incorporates a two-stage approach, each involving a different method: capturing basic information from Mexican nanotechnology patents; and, establishing concordance with economic sectors. 217 patents were identified; 153 were analyzed. Private companies and individuals registered 30 %. The largest concentration (41%) is found in the economic sector "Manufacture of Chemicals and Chemical Products". Most patents are located in basic research. There are virtually no patents related to the final place in the value chain (final products) or to nanotechnology instruments. The article provides an overview of nanotechnology in Mexico in terms of quantity and institutional allocation of patents; also with the economic sectors with which they are associated, and the relation with the place in a value chain. Patent concentration in public academic institutions suggests a lack of nanotechnology research and development capacity in firms. Most patents are related to electronics, an economic sector with significant development in the country.

The nanotechnology patent thicket revisited

Despite all predictions and promises, nanotechnology still seems to be more of an emerging science than a fully fledged revolution. More often than not, the patent system is blamed for this, supposedly tangling up nanotechnology in an impenetrable thicket of exclusionary rights instead of setting it free. Drawing on methods of complex network analysis, we provide empirical evidence suggesting that, at least in Europe, there is actually no patent thicket present in nanotechnology. Yet, the situation appears to be different in the USA.

Do patents of academic funded researchers enjoy a longer life? A study of patent renewal decisions

This paper assesses the extent to which patent renewal data is associated with government funding in a university context by focusing on the relationship between the funded patentees and renewal decisions of their patents. The aim of this paper is to show whether receiving funding from government contributes to high-value patents as measured by the patent renewal decisions made by their owners. Our observations of academic nanotechnology patents in Canada discovered a positive relationship between funded researchers and the rate of patent renewal after 4 years. Further analysis is also undertaken into the relative impact on patent renewal after 8 years and 12 years. Our results suggest that the length of patent renewal in numbers of years can be related to levels of government funding received by their inventors.

Strategies on Technology Transfer and Patents Commercialization for Nanotechnology at the Spanish National Research Council.

Internal methodologies used in CSIC in order to protect and commercialize nanotechnology based intellectual property as well as their effects are reviewed. The evolution of CSIC nanotechnology patents portfolio is also analyzed. There has been a clear increase in the patent license agreements of CSIC in the period 2002- 2015 in the field of nanotechnology. This increase is correlated to these facts: (i) Highly qualified team managing Intellectual Property issues, (ii) The presence of CSIC in international fairs, and (iii) Proactive search of companies and investors. Successful results can be achieved in technology transfer when the appropriate resources are available and properly organized with an adequate combination of efforts in knowledge protection, promotion and commercialization of technologies and support to the scientific entrepreneurs of the institution.