Product Patents Research Articles

Microalgae as agents for upcycling industrial wastewater: energy patents and scientific literature overview

The oil/gas, ethanol, biodiesel and biogas industries generate wastewater known as produced water, vinasse, crude glycerin and methanogenic digester´s based effluents, respectively. Microalgal systems have been suggested as a suitable and adaptable biological approach for the treatment of such wastewaters. The advantage of such an approach is the combination of treatment with the accumulation of algal valuable bioproducts. This systematic literature review aims to analyze scientific and patent production with bibliometric analysis. Another aim is to discuss the algal bioremediation strategies that were adopted by the cited industries for treating their distinct effluents. Data was obtained using scientific papers and patents published between 2000 to 2020 (335 scientific papers and 104 patents). The United States contributed with the largest number of articles, followed by China and Brazil. Meanwhile China, South Korea and the United States are the major owners of patents. This work identified that microalgal based system is successful in bioremediating several pollutants and that glycerol significantly improves algal performance for bioproducts production. Nonetheless, the efficiency of this process is hindered either by the adopted strategy applied before the cultivation stage or after this process. For instance, variables such as nutrient supplementation, turbidity and salinity corrections were identified as pivotal for process performance. Thus, the full-scale process is directly associated to the correct integration of wastewater production and proper management of microalgae systems.

Investigating the real effect of China’s patent surge: New evidence from firm-level patent quality data

This paper examines whether there was a real improvement in patent quality or productivity with the patent surge in China. Based on the novel database we compiled, we demonstrate that accumulated patent stock measured using quality metrics was positively associated with the productivity of large and medium-size enterprises (LMEs). We also find that R&D investments by LMEs led to increases in patent quality. However, the estimated R&D-patenting elasticities in China are found to be lower than those estimated in developed countries. We offer some explanations and discuss their implications for policy considerations.

The effects of terrorist attacks on inventor productivity and mobility

We investigate the impact of deadly terrorist attacks on inventor productivity and mobility in the U.S. During the five-year window after such events, nearby firms generate fewer and less impactful inventions. Moreover, their inventors typically exhibit a post-attack decline in their patent production, unless they move to a distant company (which some tend to do after an attack). Firms' financial constraints and inventor talent appear to provide channels underlying our productivity and mobility findings, respectively. These results provide novel insights about the impact of shocks that distort the invention process and promote the mobility and reallocation of inventors among firms.

Sistematic review on R&D&I aid in Spain

Purpose: To analyse the scientific production around public R&D&I funds in Spain, in a context in which policies to promote innovation and development are considered essential for the progress of developed countries and receive significant amounts of the public budget. Design/methodology/approach: Systematic review of all the scientific contributions collected in the Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus and Proquest until March 2021, in which mention is made of R&D&I grants in Spain. Findings: Scientific production indicates the positive impact of R&D&I aid on employment, private investment and cooperation. The list of topics which academic research deals with in this sense is, however, limited. Thus, aspects are identified in which there is still not enough scientific evidence, such as the effect of aid on the production of patents and utility models or the dissemination of the supported projects. Research limitations/implications: The analysed data is limited to the Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus and Proquest. Gray literature is not analysed. Originality/value: It is a study that can be useful to define future support policies for R&D&I aimed at companies.

Innovations for Reducing Methane Emissions in Livestock toward a Sustainable System: Analysis of Feed Additive Patents in Ruminants.

Simple SummaryThe mitigation of the environmental impact of animal production is a global objective, and innovation can provide new strategies and technologies to support the transition toward a more sustainable livestock system. Using patent data analysis to identify innovation dynamics, we explored the sector of feed additives to reduce methane emissions in ruminants. We found that this innovation sector is recent and rapidly expanding, with the European Union representing the center of innovation. The most promising inventions are related to the use of beneficial microorganisms (probiotics) and plant-based extracts.An important challenge for livestock systems is the mitigation of environmental impacts while ensuring food security, and feed additives are considered as one of the most promising mitigation strategies. This study analyzed the innovation landscape of feed additives to reduce methane emissions in ruminants. The analysis is based on patent data to evaluate the development, scientific importance, and market-level impact of the innovations in this field. The results reveal that the EU is on the innovation frontier, with substantial and quality patent production. The innovation field is dominated by private players, characterized by high specificity in the R&D pipeline. Additives derived from plant or botanical extracts, together with 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP), represent the emerging innovations, indicating a clear orientation toward more sustainable livestock systems. Despite the regulatory and semantic limitations related to the use of patent databases, data reveal a growing innovation activity at global level, which could lead to macroeconomic benefits for the entire livestock sector.

Nutrition Bio Shield (NBS) supplement effects on depression, anxiety, stress and food craving in women with depression and obesity: a double-blind randomized controlled trial

PurposeNutrition Bio Shield (NBS) supplement is a natural product that is processed from whole wheat grains. This study aims to determine its effects on depression, anxiety, stress and food craving in women with depression and obesity in a double-blind randomized clinical trial.Design/methodology/approachFifty-six eligible clients with body mass index ≥ 25 and mild or moderate depression signed the informed consent form. They were randomly assigned to receive daily 5 g of NBS or placebo. The assessments included the depression, anxiety and stress-21 questionnaire, food craving questionnaire, visual analogue scale for appetite, precise anthropometric measurements and body composition analyses. The assessments were conducted at the baseline and repeated after four and eight weeks. One month after the study completion, the participants’ weight was assessed. The authors analyzed the data by independent sample t-test, repeated measures analysis of variance and multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVA).FindingsAt the baseline, no significant differences were observed between the groups regarding the main and demographic variables. After four weeks, stress reduced significantly in the NBS group (p = 0.04), and after eight weeks, anxiety (p = 0.02), stress (p = 0.008) and food craving (p = 0.05) reduced significantly in the NBS group compared with the placebo. After controlling for the demographic variables and baseline measurements, MANCOVA model revealed a significant effect of NBS in reducing anxiety (Eta-squared = 0.28; p = 0.001) and stress (Eta-squared = 0.19; p = 0.009). Fisher’s exact test showed no significant difference regarding side effects between NBS and placebo (p = 0.47).Originality/valueNBS supplement is a patent and natural product that is processed from whole wheat grains. This product was efficient in reducing stress and anxiety after controlling for demographic variables and baseline measurements compared with the placebo and was safe.

Deconstructing Markush: Improving the R&D Efficiency Using Library Selection in Early Drug Discovery.

Most of the product patents claim a large number of compounds based on a Markush structure. However, the identification and optimization of new principal active ingredients is frequently driven by a simple Free Wilson approach, leading to a highly focused study only involving the chemical space nearby a hit compound. This fact raises the question: do the tested compounds described in patents really reflect the full molecular diversity described in the Markush structure? In this study, we contrast the performance of rational selection to conventional approaches in seven real-case patents, assessing their ability to describe the patent’s chemical space. Results demonstrate that the integration of computer-aided library selection methods in the early stages of the drug discovery process would boost the identification of new potential hits across the chemical space.

Drug allergy: A 2022 practice parameter update

Drug allergy: A 2022 practice parameter update

TECHNOLOGY PURCHASE, IN-HOUSE R&D, AND PATENTING: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF FIRMS IN HIGH- AND MEDIUM-TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIES IN INDIA

This study examines the relationship between technology purchase, in-house R&D, and patenting activities of firms in India’s high- and medium-technology industries. The study is divided into two periods, i.e., 1995–2005 and 2006–2015, based on the pre- and post-product patent amendment 1 act, 2005. We employ a negative binomial model with fixed and random effects to estimate the impact of technology purchase over R&D and patenting activity, respectively. The estimates of the R&D equation suggest a complementary relationship between technology purchase and in-house R&D. However, the estimates of the patents equation suggest a substitute relationship between in-house and technology purchase. Further, we find an inverted U-shaped relationship between in-house R&D, technology purchase, and patenting activities. However, the interaction between in-house R&D and technology purchase positively moderates the nonlinear relationships. Lastly, our estimated result is sensitive to different industries and periods. 1 The product patent amendment act came into effect with The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs-2005) in India.

“Penciclovir”

“Penciclovir”

Appropriability and basicness of R&D: Identifying and characterising product and process inventions in patent data

We present a database that classifies all patent applications filed at either the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) or the European Patent Office (EPO) as being either product patents, process patents or ‘mixed patents’. We use the share of claims that refer to either product or process inventions which allows to classify all patent applications along a continuum of pure process patents and pure product patents. We find that process-oriented patents draw more on previous knowledge, are more original and more radical than product patents. Lower breadth of protection is positively associated with pure process patenting, whereas product and mixed variants can be protected more broadly. This characterisation uncovers heterogeneity of patented inventions that allows for a more sophisticated use of patent statistics. It can improve the accuracy of analyses, but also reveal new aspects related to property rights.

The Role of Environmental and Artificial Intelligence Policies for Eco-innovation in China

In this paper, we employ negative binomial and quasi-natural experimental methods (i.e., Difference-in-Differences), whereby we examine the joint impact of environmental and artificial intelligence policies (for designing smart cities) upon the generation of eco-innovations. Using longitudinal data for the period 2006-2018, we examine the changes in green patents granted: (i) due to the implementation of various levels of stringency of environmental policies across all cities; and (ii) after the introduction of smart city policies in 2012 in China. The prior literature stresses the importance of environmental policies, yet less attention has been paid to the other types of policies required to drive eco-innovation and their spatial dimension in the context of a developing economy. Our results show that, when artificial intelligence policies are implemented in cities that have adopted strict environmental policies, the production of green patents increases. We contribute to debates in the literature of policy mix for sustainability transitions in the context of a developing economy by illustrating the importance of both types of policy for eco-innovation, as they correct two market failures and, more importantly, address the systemic coordination problems that occur during the production of green patents.

The Parallel Imports of Invention Patents in Pharmaceutical Products

This research was carried out with the aim of knowing the nature of parallel imports, regulations in optimizing parallel imports of pharmaceutical patent products and strategies for using parallel imports in pharmaceutical patent product inventions in Indonesia. This research uses a normative type of research by utilizing a legal research approach and a conceptual approach. The results of this study, namely: 1) Parallel import is an activity of importing patent protected inventions without third party permission to the inventor/patent holder so that the patent holder cannot enjoy the incentives for the exploration process by a third party. This activity is carried out because it is crucial and fundamental in nature, namely the interests of health and is related to human life. This activity is to ensure a reasonable price and fulfill a sense of justice for essential pharmaceutical inventions that are very much needed by humans and can cure diseases. The implication is the lack of a sense of justice for the inventor/patent holder and the inventor/patent holder cannot enjoy the maximum economic benefits and exclusive rights over the third party invention exploration process. However, there are exceptions to minimize losses for inventors/patent holders, namely the doctrine of national exhaustion (earning royalties and economic benefits from the first sale) which upholds Article 19 of Law no. 13 of 2016. 2) importers are required to fulfill administrative requirements such as distribution permits, pharmaceutical industry permits from abroad and SKI Border or Post Border. Regulation of parallel import pharmaceutical inventions is regulated in the TRIPs Agreement, Law No. 13 of 2016, Law no. 36 of 2009, Law no. 17 of 2006, Regulation of the Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia Number 17 of 2021, Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 20 of 2014, BPOM Regulation Number 15 of 2020 and PerKa BPOMRI Number 24 of 2017. 3). Parallel import strategy for patent pharmaceutical inventions with an obligation to importers to complete administrative requirements to prevent misuse of parallel imports, and in accordance with the provisions of Article 167 letter (a) which states a price determination in order to obtain cheaper prices in the international market and reduce competition. healthy so that consumers can get fair prices and create a sense of justice, adhere to the national doctrine of exhaustion which pays attention to the interests of inventors, and imports in reasonable quantities to foster a sense of justice between inventors and importers.

Ürün Yenilik Stratejileri: Firma Düzeyi Analizi

In this study, we examine the association between firms’ innovation process and their product quality improvement and new product introduction strategies. Our focus is on the distinction between firms’ product quality improvement and variety extension objectives. We use data from Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) Innovation Survey between the years 2014 and 2016. According to the descriptive results, number of firms report that product quality as very important is greater than the firms report that product variety. Logit estimations results show that majority of the product variety objective and technology level indicators are significant and positively related with probability of product innovation. There is also a positive relationship between probability of product innovation and patent applications for small and medium sized firms. Moreover, probability of innovation is positively related with variety objective whereas quality objective indicators are insignificant.

Just Rules for Innovative Pharmaceuticals

Globalized in 1995 through the TRIPs Agreement, humanity’s dominant mechanism for encouraging innovations involves 20-year product patents, whose monopoly features enable innovators to reap large markups or licensing fees from early users. Exclusive reliance on this reward mechanism in the pharmaceutical sector is morally problematic for two main reasons. First, it imposes a great burden on poor people who cannot afford to buy patented treatments at monopoly prices and whose specific health problems are therefore neglected by pharmacological research. Second, it discourages pharmaceutical firms from fighting diseases at the population level with the aim of slashing their incidence. These problems can be alleviated by establishing a supplementary alternative reward mechanism that would enable pharmaceutical innovators to exchange their monopoly privileges on a patented product for impact rewards based on the actual health gains achieved with this product. As such, an international Health Impact Fund (HIF) would create powerful new incentives to rapidly develop remedies against diseases concentrated among the poor, provide such remedies with ample care at very low prices, and deploy them strategically to contain, suppress, and ideally eradicate the target disease. By promoting innovations and their diffusion together, the HIF would greatly enlarge the benefits, and thereby also the cost-effectiveness, of the pharmaceutical sector, especially in favor of the world’s poor.

The nexus between green innovations and natural resources commodity prices in China

The present study aimed to expansively evaluate the association between the green innovations and the natural resource commodity prices in China. China has been focusing on green policy implementations and green innovation for development of a green economy, however, it is integral to evaluate the impact of these considerations on the natural resource commodity prices. Thus, the paper evaluates the impact of the green innovation on the natural resource commodity prices within China. The research is based on data from 30 eastern, western, and central Chinese provinces for the period 2002–2020. The paper provides a measurement method for green innovation through the number of the “alternative energy production and energy conservation patents”. The overall number of patent applications and the number of grants issued for the patents were taken as indicators for the green innovation. The results indicated that there is a positive impact of the green innovation measures on the natural resource commodity prices. Although, when the sample is evaluated based on regional differences, there is presence of heterogeneity related to the impact of the green innovation on the natural resource commodity prices. Explicitly, green innovation has a specific role in the promotion and influence of the commodity prices in the western and central Chinese regions whereas it posits no influence in the eastern regions.

Migrants and Firms: Evidence from China

How does rural-urban migration shape urban production in developing countries? We use longitudinal data on Chinese manufacturing firms between 2000 and 2006, and exploit exogenous variation in rural-urban migration induced by agricultural income shocks for identification. We find that, when immigration increases, manufacturing production becomes more labor intensive and productivity declines. We investigate the reorganization of production using patent applications and product information. We show that rural-urban migration induces both labor-oriented technological change and the adoption of labor intensive product varieties. (JEL D24, L23, L60, O33, P25, P31, R23)

Simulation of a reactor considering the Stamicarbon, Snamprogetti, and Toyo patents for obtaining urea

Abstract In the present work, the plug flow reactor of a urea production plant from ammonia produced from natural gas of the Camisea fields (Peru) was designed, comparatively analyzing three commercial processes currently in operation: Stamicarbon, Snamprogetti, and Toyo. ASPEN PLUS software was used as a simulation tool. To carry out the simulation and subsequent comparison of the three urea production patents, it will start from the same feed of ammonia (37,851 kmol/day) and carbon dioxide (18,989 kmol/day) for the three cases. For the design of urea synthesis reactors, reactors of the same size (2.3 m diameter and 29 m length) were designed. The results are graphs that illustrate the variation of the length of the reactor with the reaction temperature, the variation of the length of the reactor with the residence time, and the variation of the conversion with the time for each patent.

Australian innovation: Patent database construction and first evidence

The purpose of this paper is to describe the construction of the first Australian patent database for ASX-listed firms from 1990 to 2018 and provide a first look into their innovation activities. We explain the data sources, matching process, assumptions made and limitations of the database. We conduct validity tests on patent-based innovation proxies derived from the database to ascertain whether they capture innovation. We find a positive correlation between firms that have more patents, and investment in research and development, a known observable indicator of innovation. We also find that Australian firm performance has a positive elasticity to patents and that patent productivity is highest for poor-performing firms. The Australian institutional setting is unique compared to the U.S setting, which to date has dominated the innovation literature. By making the database publicly available, we enable more innovation research to enhance our understanding of what motivates corporate innovation and improves its efficiency under different institutional contexts.

How does Internationalisation affect the productivity of R&D activities in large innovative firms? A conditional nonparametric investigation

This work explores the relationship between multinational R&D and innovation productivity among top corporate knowledge and R&D producers by adopting a twofold concept of internationalisation: (1) the firm’s degree of R&D internationalisation, and (2) the firm’s geographic diversification. We model the patent production process with an appropriate and robust conditional Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) estimator, using a unique database of firms that matches financial indicators and patent information. Our results reinforce the fundamental role of internationalisation in the knowledge production process when the internationalisation process is properly and strategically managed. We interpret our empirical evidence through the theoretical lens of the learning theory of internationalisation, and we postulate that a high R&D intensity is a key driver to overcoming the challenges of internationalisation.