Fraunhofer-Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung ISI

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An update of challenges and possible solutions related to ICT patents: The perspective of European stakeholders

2023 , Blind, Knut

Patents in information and communication technologies (ICTs) are important instruments for protecting companies' inventions and to appropriate the value of the related inventions. However, the increasing dynamics and complexity in ICTs are challenging the effectiveness of patents. Based on a review of the literature and interviews with relevant stakeholders in Europe, we have identified the most relevant challenges for patents in ICT and possible solutions. These insights have been used as input in framing our broad survey among European stakeholders. The results reveal on the one hand the differences between the patent owners and stakeholders owning no patents, in particular with regards to the various challenges the patent system is facing. On the other hand, the differences disappear in the assessment of the effectiveness of the various solutions. Finally, we conclude with a summary of our main findings.

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China's technological performance as reflected in patents

2022 , Schmoch, Ulrich , Gehrke, Birgit

Various concepts for the comparison of countries by patent indicators have been developed for the comparison of countries based on patent indicators. These concepts are generally based on the application of patents in several important markets or the family size of patent applications. A specific observation is the limited transfer of PCT applications of Chinese origin, affecting all these concepts. Transnational patents prove to be a convenient and appropriate tool for making country comparisons by technology, particularly with respect to adequately consider China's specific patent behaviour. Therefore the phenomenon of limited transfer of China's PCT applications is analysed for transnational patents. This observation can be associated with lower patent values or with a decreasing export dynamic. The Chinese transfer rates vary considerably by technology as well as by the reason for lower transfer rates. It proves to be more adequate to take limited transfer rates into account.

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Impact of model settings on the text-based Rao diversity index

2022 , Zielinski, Andrea

Policymakers and funding agencies tend to support scientific work across disciplines, thereby relying on indicators for interdisciplinarity. Recently, text-based quantitative methods have been proposed for the computation of interdisciplinarity that hold promise to have several advantages over the bibliometric approach. In this paper, we provide a systematic analysis of the computation of the text-based Rao index, based on probabilistic topic models, comparing a classical LDA model versus a neural network topic model. We provide a systematic analysis of model parameters that affect the diversity scores and make the interaction between its different components explicit. We present an empirical study on a real data set, upon which we quantify the diversity of the research within several departments of Fraunhofer and Max Planck Society by means of scientific abstracts published in Scopus between 2008 and 2018. Our experiments show that parameter variations, i.e. the choice of the Number of topics, hyper-parameters, and size and balance of the underlying data used for training the model, have a strong effect on the topic model-based Rao metrics. In particular, we could observe that the quality of the topic models impacts on the downstream task of computing the Rao index. Topic models that yield semantically cohesive topics are less affected by fluctuations when varying over the number of topics, and result in more stable measurements of the Rao index.

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The evaluation of the Austrian START programme: An impact analysis of a research funding programme using a multi-method approach

2022 , Seus, Sarah , Bührer, Susanne

The following article presents and discusses the approach and findings of a recently conducted evaluation study of the Austrian START programme. The START programme is one of Austria's most prestigious research grants for individual researchers at post-doctoral level and provides the grantee with up to 1.2 million Euro for up to 5 years. The programme's aims are twofold: supporting excellent research and qualifying the grantee for a (permanent) senior research position in the research system. The article discusses the effects of the programme and focuses especially on the impacts on the grantees as main beneficiaries. In particular, the scientific output of the grantees and their career development is investigated. Furthermore, the analysis of the indirect beneficiary groups and the analysis of the system in which the START programme is placed, aims at answering the questions whether and how the START programme has contributed to strengthening the capabilities of the Austrian science system. The evaluation uses a control group approach to quantify the effects on the grantees. In order to counterbalance the weaknesses of traditional quantitative impact analysis and to obtain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of the effects of the funding, the evaluation was complemented by further evidence of a qualitative and quantitative nature.

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The role of industrial actors in the circular economy for critical raw materials: A framework with case studies across a range of industries

2023 , Cimprich, Alexander , Young, Steven B. , Schrijvers, Dieuwertje , Ku, Anthony Y. , Hagelüken, Christian , Christmann, Patrice , Eggert, Roderick , Habib, Komal , Hirohata, Atsufumi , Hurd, Alan J. , Lee, Min-Ha , Peck, David , Petavratzi, Evi , Tercero Espinoza, Luis A. , Wäger, Patrick , Hool, Alessandra

In this article, we explore concrete examples of circularity strategies for critical raw materials (CRMs) in commercial settings. We propose a company-level framework for systematically evaluating circularity strategies (e.g., material recycling, product reuse, and product or component lifetime extension) in specific applications of CRMs from the perspectives of specific industrial actors. This framework is applied in qualitative analyses - informed by relevant literature and expert consultation - of five case studies across a range of industries: (1) rhenium in high-pressure turbine components, (2) platinum group metals in industrial catalysts for chemical processing and oil refining, (3) rare earth permanent magnets in computer hard disk drives, (4) various CRMs in consumer electronics, and (5) helium in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines. Drawing from these case studies, three broader observations can be made about company circularity strategies for CRMs. Firstly, there are multiple, partly competing motivations that influence the adoption of circularity strategies, including cost savings, supply security, and external stakeholder pressure. Secondly, business models and value-chain structure play a major role in the implementation of circularity strategies; business-to-business models appear to be more conducive to circularity than business-to-consumer models. Finally, it is important to distinguish between closed-loop circularity, in which material flows are contained within the ""focal"" actor's system boundary, and open-loop circularity, in which material flows cross the system boundary, as the latter has limited potential for mitigating material criticality from the perspective of the focal actor.

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Sharing vehicles or sharing rides - Psychological factors influencing the acceptance of carsharing and ridepooling in Germany

2022 , Burghard, Uta , Scherrer, Aline

Shared mobility has the potential to reduce private car use and can thereby contribute to a mobility transition which reduces energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, shared mobility services still have a niche existence - even in major cities. If the goal is to establish shared mobility as a significant part of the mobility system, a key question is which factors determine the acceptance of individual services. Can perceived innovation-specific factors that can be more directly influenced by policies explain differences in attitudes and acceptance or does the explanatory power lie with psychological dispositions that are more difficult to change by policies? Do these factors apply in general or differ between different sharing services? We investigate these questions based on a survey study in major German cities to analyse the acceptance of two car-based shared mobility services, carsharing and ridepooling, in society (N = 1,531). The data analysis based on two path models shows that perceived compatibility with daily life is the most important factor related to the acceptance of carsharing and ridepooling. Perceived ease of use positively affects the general attitude towards both services. We conclude that our findings offer potential intervention routes for policies that increase the acceptance of shared mobility. The prerequisites for the services to contribute to a reduction in energy consumption in the transport sector are also discussed.

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Competing standard-setting organizations: A choice experiment

2022 , Wiegmann, Paul M. , Eggers, Felix , Vries, Henk J. de , Blind, Knut

Standard-setting organizations (SSOs) establish goal-directed networks for innovators to jointly shape technology and markets through standards. The degree to which this can succeed depends to a large extent on network characteristics, which may differ substantially between SSOs. Many technological fields face intense competition between SSOs. Choosing the right one is thus a key strategic decision for innovators. Simultaneously, SSOs must reflect members' preferences in their network set-ups and governance. Yet, little is known about these preferences. Based on extant literature, we derive hypotheses about how three themes of network attributes (membership base, rules, transaction costs) and contextual factors drive decision makers' preferences. We conduct a comprehensive choice experiment with 141 standardization professionals in the Internet of Things field. Based on our data, we provide a more realistic indication of what firms value in SSOs than has been previously available. We also discuss our results' implications for studying networks in other contexts.

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Exploring the psychological antecedents of private and public sphere behaviours to reduce household plastic consumption

2023 , Heidbreder, Lea Marie , Tröger, Josephine , Schmitt, Manfred

In the last few years, plastic has become an issue of current interest as tremendous ecological effects from plastic littering have become visible. Taking the role of consumers into account, activities comprising purchasing decisions and political engagement are expected to help prevent plastic pollution. The goal of this study was to examine antecedents of three potential plastic reduction activities: purchasing, activism, and policy support. Based on well-established psychological models of pro-environmental behaviour (i.e. theory of planned behaviour, norm activation model), an online survey (N = 648) was administered and analysed via structural equation modelling. Results revealed that personal norms were a relevant predictor of all three intentions. Whereas sufficiency orientation and collective efficacy predicted only activism intention and policy support intention, perceived behavioural control was the strongest predictor of purchasing intentions. Regarding behaviour, people with high activism intentions and sufficiency orientation were more likely to choose a plastic-free incentive instead of the conventional shopping voucher. This study highlights psychological antecedents of plastic reduction. An integrated model showed that rational cost-benefit considerations as well as morality serve as drivers of reducing plastic consumption. Implications for the promotion of plastic-free consumption are discussed.

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Synthetic European road freight transport flow data

2022 , Speth, Daniel , Sauter, Verena , Plötz, Patrick , Signer, Tim

This data article describes a dataset on European road freight traffic. The dataset includes truck traffic flows between 1675 regions all over Europe. In addition to the road freight flows in tons as well as number of vehicles, the dataset also contains the shortest path between the respective regions on the European highway network (E-roads). Fifteen columns provide the following information for each pair of regions: (1) ID origin region, (2) name origin region, (3) ID destination region, (4) name destination region, (5) path in the E-road network, (6) distance from origin region to the E-road network, (7) distance within the E-road network, (8) distance from the E-road network to the destination region, (9) total distance, (10) road freight flow in tons for 2010, (11) road freight flow in tons for 2019, (12) road freight flow in tons for 2030, (13) truck traffic flow in number of vehicles for 2010, (14) truck traffic flow in number of vehicles for 2019, (15) truck traffic flow in number of vehicles for 2030. In addition, a table of nodes and a table of edges of the modelled E-road network is available. Finally, a list with supplementary information on the regions under consideration is given. In 2010, the ETISplus project collected Europe-wide freight volumes from various EU sources as well as from the EU countries and calibrated the resulting origin-destination matrices with measured traffic flows. For the dataset described here, the road freight volume was updated using Eurostat data and a forecast up to 2030 was added. The freight volume was converted into vehicles travelling. Subsequently, the highway network relevant for trucks was extracted from the ETISplus project and manually updated with the current E-road network. Finally, each origin-destination freight volume was allocated to the network using Dijkstra's algorithm. This provides a synthetically generated road freight traffic volume for each road section. The generated data provide an extremely relevant basis for the design of future road infrastructure in Europe, for example hydrogen refuelling stations or charging stations for electric trucks. Thus, the data are not only relevant for traffic science studies, but also of high importance for planners in practice.

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What drives the utility of shared transport services for urban travellers? A stated preference survey in German cities

2022 , Krauß, Konstantin , Krail, Michael , Axhausen, Kay W.

The supply of shared mobility solutions has been increasing during the last years, so has the popularity of Mobility-as-a-Service. Both promise an easy access to and usage of shared vehicles or shared rides. Nevertheless, usage of these services remains low in German cities. Hence, the question arises: what determines the utility of travellers regarding shared modes and how is this different to conventional modes? To answer this, we conduct a stated preference experiment amongst 1,445 respondents (8,670 observations). The sample is drawn from residents of the 83 largest cities in Germany. We consider four shared (e-scooter-, bike-, carsharing, and ridepooling) and three conventional modes (walking, private car, and public transport). We estimate a mixed logit model and calculate the respective value of travel time (VoT) as well as the value of access, egress, and parking search time. The importance of the individual attributes is analysed drawing on a part-worth analysis. Further, we calculate average treatment effects to show simulated mode-choice probability changes. We find that costs are more important than travel time for carsharing and ridepooling whilst they are equally important for there maining modes. For shared services, access is more important than egress. Moreover, among the shared services, e-scootersharing shows the highest VoT (23.73 EUR/h), followed by bikesharing (18.53 EUR/h). Finally, cost changes to private cars and public transport show the highest simulated shifting potential with carsharing profiting most from cost increases in these two modes.

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