Innovation in 2G Quantum Technologies, a Patent Landscape Study

Abstract

Patent filings can be a proxy for the intention to exploit research and development activities, and thus are a signal of the innovation process. The present study shows that the number of patent filings for second- generation quantum metrology and sensing devices is still small but has recently started to grow. It also reveals that a large proportion of the patent filings in this field originate from academia, suggesting that these researchers still account for most of the innovative activity in this sector. However there is some evidence that international industry- academia collaboration is becoming a vehicle for innovation directions in these future and emerging technologies. The present study constitutes an instantaneous snapshot of the state of innovation at the time of the research. We provide all necessary materials, search strategy, datasets, and methods to enable third parties to carry out subsequent analyses at their own convenience.