Title: Identifying Emerging Free Technologies by PCT Patent Analysis
Abstract: 중소기업은 창조경제의 중추적 역할을 담당하는 핵심 성장 동력원으로서 중요한 위치를 차지함에도 불구하고 중소기업의 현실은 희망이 없다. 중소기업의 혁신을 통한 중장기적 성장전략을 제시하고자 유망자유기술 탐색방법을 제안하고, 2006년부터 2010년까지 PCT 출원되어 공개된 특허를 조사하여 기술동향을 정량 분석한 다음, LED품목을 사례로 들어 PCT 및 국내 특허정보를 분석하고, 미래 유망 자유기술을 탐색하였다. 제시된 자유기술탐색 방법은 중소기업의 국제시장 진출 방향 설정 및 국가산업 전략의 수립에도 활용이 가능할 것이다. This paper proposes a new strategy for assisting SMEs in S. Korea to grow by the use of free technologies, which include expired patents, patents that are effective in other countries but not in S. Korea, and technologies that were published without being patented. A key question answered in this paper is how to find valuable technologies developed by large companies that can be utilized by domestic SMEs. A procedure for identifying emerging free technologies was developed and is explained with an example. A quantitative analysis of technology trend was conducted on PCT's published patents that did not include S. Korea as a designated country, and then emerging IPC subclasses were identified. Among those emerging technology areas, the subclass areas where the number of Korean inventors is small were identified as key emerging free technology areas. Our method for identifying emerging free technologies can assist domestic SMEs to advance in the international market and guide the development of a national industrial strategy.