EMPLOYING STN ANAVIST TO FORECAST CONVERGING INDUSTRIES

Clive-Steven Curran () and Jens Leker ()
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Clive-Steven Curran: University of Münster, Institute of Business Administration at the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Leonardo-Campus 1, 48149 Münster, Germany
Jens Leker: University of Münster, Institute of Business Administration at the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Leonardo-Campus 1, 48149 Münster, Germany

International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), 2009, vol. 13, issue 04, 637-664

Abstract: Converging industries are characterized by the blurring of boundaries between technologies, markets and industry sectors. As such they can enable firms to access new markets or threaten them with an array of new competitors and a lack of knowledge. This makes an early identification of convergence trends highly important. In the present paper we focus on the application of a frequency-based analysis and visualization software (STN AnaVist) for the forecasting of converging industries. Scrutinizing 3,836 patent and scientific publication references on phytosterols in the areas of nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals, we employ research landscape, co-authorship and International Patent Classification (IPC) co-classification analyses. The results demonstrate partial convergence between the pharmaceutical, the chemical, the nutrition and the cosmetics industries and the suitability of the employed approach. According to this study, scientific as well as technology convergence have taken place in this segment, with a time-lag of roughly 25 years.

Keywords: Converging industries; patent analysis; co-authorship; technology foresight; nutraceuticals and functional foods; cosmeceuticals; phytosterols (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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DOI: 10.1142/S1363919609002455

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