# A Study on Technology Competition of Graphene Biomedical Technology Based on Patent Analysis
## 4 Analysis
### _Patent Roadmap_
#### 4.2.2 Assignee Level Patent Roadmap  
In this paper, based on the above patent analysis of TC, we attempt to build an assignee level patent map by integrating competitive position of top assignees with patent hotspots and fronts. This patent roadmap aims to illustrate the patent distribution and evolution trend of the leading assignees and to identify the potential technology opportunity in this field (see Figure 5). Figure 4: Country level patent roadmap of graphene biomedical technology. _Appl. Sci._**2019**, 9, 2613  
Figure 5: _Cont._  
The process of patent roadmap mainly includes four stages. First, we decide the horizontal axis and vertical axis. Specifically, the horizontal axis represents the time-line. We separate the period from 2007 to 2018 into five three-year periods, because the patent application among the top 20 assignees  
Figure 5: Assignee level patent roadmap of graphene biomedical technology. begins at the period from 2007 to 2009; and the vertical axis indicates the specific technological field, representing by MC (a unique patent classification code indicating the novel technical aspects of the invention, and its commercial applications) which enabled stakeholders to investigate the evolution trend of a target technical area. Second, nodes are determined. Based on the competitive position of top assignees in Figure 3, we selected the top 20 leading patentees with higher competitive advantages in the patent roadmap. Third, we employ arrows to link nodes that belong to the same assignee, displaying the patent distribution of top 20 leading assignees. Fourth, Nodes are marked. We used different colors to show assignees from different countries. The red color represents patentees from China, purple from the U.S., and green from Korea. As shown in Figure 5, we demonstrate the characteristics of the dynamic development of TC in graphene biomedical technology. Firstly, among the top 20 assignees, their patent applications in patent hotspots and fronts begin at the period from 2007 to 2009. Figure 5 illustrates the following technological fields that entering the graphene biomedical market earlier, such as B12-K04 (Diagnosis and testing), B05-B02C (Silicon (SI), Selenium (SE), Tellurium (TE), Boron (B) Inorganic, Inert gases), D05-H09 (Testing and detection (Except Bacteria, Fungi, Viruses)), B04-N04 (Protein/polypeptide of undefined origin (No sequence)), B11-C08B (Testing/detection by potentiometry, polarography), and B04-E01 (Nucleic acid general and other). Some technological fields can be found the patent application after the year of 2013 (e.g., B14-S18 (Drug combination)) and 2016 (e.g., A08-S02 (Solvents, swelling agents)) with the first data record separately, indicating their preliminary development stage. As for patentees, Harvard University is a powerful leader with first mover advantages in various technological fields, such as B12-K04 (Diagnosis and testing), B05-B02C (Silicon (SI), Selenium (SE), Tellurium (TE), Boron (B) Inorganic, Inert gases), B05-C06 (Elemental C or S), etc. In terms of comprehensive technology distribution, the top three assignees are Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of California, and Seoul National University, with patent filing in 18, 16, and 15 patent hotspots and fronts separately. However, although Lockheed Martin Corporation and Konkuk University owned relatively large amounts of patents, they have a lack of technology layout in patent hotspots and fronts. Secondly, we focus on mining technology opportunities in patent hotspots and fronts. Regarding the five most important patent hotspots and fronts in the graphene biomedical technology, it can be seen that assignees from Korea (e.g., Korea Institute of Science and Technology) and the U.S. (e.g., Harvard University) are powerful leaders in B12-K04 (diagnosis and testing), while except for Chinese Academy of Sciences, most of the Chinese assignees lack patent application in this most important hotspots and fronts in the graphene biomedical technology.