| Summary: | 碩士 === 中華大學 === 國際經營管理碩士學位學程 === 102 === Currently, the “3D printing” technology is attracting a great deal of interest due to its potential to be a “disruptive technology” and the dramatic effects on traditional manufacturing and business models as well as the legal implications for intellectual property rights. In particular, among the new applications pertaining to the 3D printing technology, its advances in the medical fields shall attract more attention and become increasingly important especially in the field of tissue engineering.
Thus, this study, utilizing the bibliometric techniques, performed an exploratory patent analysis to examine the trends of the technological development in the field of the 3D printing technology for application on tissue engineering both in the U.S. and Japan. Furthermore, this study analyzed the patent strategies, competitors’ landscape, technological competency and R&;D focus through the comparison review of the search results pertaining to the USPTO and the JPO, respectively, thereby providing a valuable source of reference in order to plan strategic R&;D directions and a comprehensive patent strategy.
Overall, analytical results of this study showed that the U.S. is the most prominent country in the patent production at the national level and the entire growth in the inventions in the U.S. precedes the one in Japan. Besides, the patent publications in both countries reached the maximum number in 2013 with a continually upward developing potential. From the patentee’s level analysis, 3D Systems Inc. has been deemed to have a competitive advantage both in the U.S. and Japan at present. However, currently there is no dominant player that covers a wide range of technology areas yet at the dawn of the development race. Therefore, competitive landscape shall be still uncertain and volatile for the time being. In this regard, the further discussion was performed corresponding to the detailed analysis from the point of view of the company’s activities across the manufacturing equipment technology, the process technology, advanced materials technology and the medical and tissue engineering application.
Gaining insight into the valuable information on technological development and strategies, this study shall conclude with the comprehensive approach for the integration or collaboration of the related technologies, emphasizing a significant focus on the enhancement of the strategic R&;D planning and comprehensive patent strategy.
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