Understanding the development trends of big data technologies: an analysis of patents and the cited scholarly works

Abstract

AbstractBig data innovation is a key instrument for economic and social development and for the creation of new business opportunities. This study analyzes the patenting activities of global jurisdictions in the field of big data; as well as the scholarly cited works. We collected 13,112 patent applications between 1992 and 2019, and 642 cited scholarly works by the patents. Our findings report on the development trends in big data technologies, as well as on the link between patenting activities and the cited scientific works. It also analyzes and visualizes the social networks embedded in patents and the cited scientific works; thus, it reveals the patenting activities of global jurisdictions on big data technologies, the strength of the interaction of various agents, such as inventors and applicants within social networks, and the link between patents and the scientific world. This study shows that most of the big data patent applications filed fall within the IPC category of information retrieval, database structures, and file system structures. The majority of the applicants and inventors of the patents filed are Chinese companies and individuals. Scientific fields with stronger connections within the network of co-fields are computer science and medicine. There is a weak link between inventions and scientific works.