Analyzing Causality of Technological Knowledge Spillovers: Patent Analysis Approach

Converging different technologies in different domains generally increases the possibility of creating new market values that cannot be realized by utilizing technologies within a single domain. Therefore, analyzing technological knowledge spillovers between technology classes can lead to identify new opportunities for technologies or products. This study proposes a systematic approach to analyze the causality of knowledge spillovers. It measures the degree of direct influences between classes and derives the extent of indirect knowledge flows from the direct influences. By integrating the direct and indirect influences, it identifies the causality of knowledge spillovers through an impact-causality map of classes. This study is expected to contribute to exploring the effects of comprehensive technological knowledge spillovers and clarifying the characteristics of each technology class in terms of knowledge diffusers or absorbers. Further, it can be a basis for useful tool to establish R&D plans since it provides a direction to create convergent inventions at the level of technology classes based on the quantitative analysis.