What is Patent Landscape Analysis?

Patent landscape analysis is between patent novelty analysis and freedom to operate (FTO) analysis. Novelty analysis focuses on determining whether an invention is novel, while freedom to operate analysis focuses on whether a company can freely sell its products without infringing existing patents. Patent landscape analysis provides the R&D department with an overview of the technological environment in which the company operates.

Patent landscape analysis should not only investigate what patents are available in the technology field, but also investigate the main competitors, what patents are being applied for in which regions and technology fields, where the focus of innovation is and how it may develop. Patent landscape analysis can be conducted separately by country, region, industry, technology or competitor, and inventor.

For companies about to develop new products, patent landscape analysis can provide the R&D department with some very specific competitive insights, such as:

• Competitor analysis: Who are the competitors in this technology field and what are their technology development trends and focus.
• Developing R&D strategies: Through landscape analysis, R&D priorities can be determined for the company.
• Avoid risks: Through patent landscape analysis, we can identify areas with active patents, thereby helping the company avoid possible risks.

Patent landscape analysis provides insights into technology trends, helping companies decide whether to follow those trends or go against them. This can prevent companies from wasting valuable time and resources on already saturated markets or on the wrong markets that could hinder the company’s growth.

Patent landscape analysis is a strategic tool for company R&D and can effectively plan R&D activities. For example, a company focusing on chemical innovation has found that more and more patents are being applied for environmental protection technologies. This indicates that the market may be changing, and the company may need to adjust its R&D strategy to keep up with this trend. For example, if a company is headquartered outside the EU but wants to enter the European market with new products, landscape research can enable the company to determine which players are already active in the same technology field and in which countries there are opportunities.