以專利指標衡量台灣生物晶片產業之創新能力

Abstract

根據美國專利局USPTO的統計，台灣近年來在美國申請的專利一直都維持在全球第四名，然而評估台灣的創新能力，不應只是講求「以量取勝」，而更應需主張「以質超越」的專利佈局。 本研究主要在於利用各國產業原始的專利資料，透過專利分析工具進行初步的專利分析，並將分析後的專利分析結果投入本研究建構的專利指標，進行跨國之間的產業現況比較。藉由跨國間產業專利指標的分析比較，可以反應出目前台灣產業在專利「量」與「質」的發展情形。 實證分析用於衡量目前台灣生物晶片產業的創新能力。藉由比較美國、日本、德國及中國大陸四個國家在生物晶片產業專利發展趨勢，以瞭解目前台灣生物晶片產業的發展狀況。本研究發現目前全球生物晶片的技術仍處於技術導入期，在整個生物晶片技術發展上，除了美國發展較為平均外，其餘各國均有其特定的發展重心。但就整體來說，美國的專利技術強度最強(172.6)、其次分別為中國大陸(3.0)、台灣(2.9)、日本(1.1)、德國(0.8)。專利引證次數上也以美國為多，其中以美國Affymetrix公司掌握最關鍵的核心專利。雖然台灣在近幾年的專利指標結果上表現並不出色，但是在專利件數申請及專利引證上已有增加之傾向。

Taiwan has created an “economic miracle” with the manufacturing advantages of low cost in the past forty years. Nevertheless, technology innovation has become a very critical factor to upgrade Taiwan’s competitiveness. According to the statistics of USPTO, the number of patents assigned to Taiwan is ranked in the fourth place of the nations in the world. In addition to the achievement in terms of patent quantity, Taiwan has to enhance her patent quality in order to gain the advantages in the knowledge era. This study employs the patent analysis tool, Patent Guider, to analyze the patent data , and then applies several patent indicators to reveal the embedded information within it. This research aims at using the patent indicators to reflect the development in the “number” and “quality” of the patents in Taiwan’s biochip industry. This research utilizes patent indicators to measure the innovative capability of the Biochip industry in Taiwan. In comparison to the patent data of four countries, i.e., USA, Japan, German, and China, Taiwan’s technological competitiveness can then be assessed. It is found that the Biochip technology is in the introduction stage. The technology strength of U.S.A is rated number one and then follows China (3.0), Taiwan (2.9), Japan (1.1), and German (0.8). USA also predominates the citation rate of patents (Cites Per Patent.), and the leading American Company, Affymetrix, holds many key patents and leads the technology in the world. Taiwan is increasing her number of patents as well as cites per patent.