Mapping innovation dynamics in the Internet of Things domain: Evidence from patent analysis

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging paradigm in the ICT sector and it is at the center of many current political and economic debates. Scholars, executives, and policymakers are becoming increasingly interested in understanding how to turn the IoT into reality, since various technological constraints (e.g., standardization and interoperability) limit the possibility of realizing an inclusive IoT information network. These constraints are exacerbated by the lack of a clear picture of the innovation dynamics and technology evolution of the IoT. This paper seeks to address this gap by mapping the development of IoT technologies. In particular, we have collected 61,972 IoT patents filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty in the period 2000-2012. We analyze temporal trends, cross-country dynamics and identity of the applicants. Moreover, we provide insights about the development of the most relevant IoT technologies by looking at triadic patent families.