Assessing patents to measure the effectiveness of R&D

Holger Ernst is full professor of business administration, esp. technology and innovation management at the Otto Beisheim School of Management (WHU), Vallendar, Germany. He is a regular visiting professor at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA. His main research interests lie in the fields of technology and innovation management, new product development and intellectual property management. He has published in leading international journals and he advises and speaks to corporations worldwide in the area of technology, patent and innovation management.

Abstract

Decision makers require new assessments and benchmarks to evaluate R&D effectiveness. For this reason, several methods have been developed based on patent indicators. This presentation will outline these methods and discuss their respective strengths and weaknesses. Further, a new global patent benchmark, the Patent Asset Index, will be discussed. The application of the Patent Asset Index in the global chemical industry will be shown. Finally, the managerial use of patent-based benchmarks will be outlined.

Prof. Dr. Holger Ernst 
WHU & Otto Beisheim School of Management  
Chair for Technology and Innovation Management