Nano-technology Patenting in the USA

In January 2002, the Australian Research Council categorised research related to nano-materialsand bio-materials as one of its four priority funding areas. Such projects are considered to be of paramountimportance because of the recognised potential of these technologies to improve product efficiency,conserve natural resources and help alleviate environmental problems. This paper uses a TechnologicalStrengths (TS) model based on patent statistics to: (1) analyse trends in the patenting of nano-technologiesin the USA, using data from 1975 to 2000 for patents lodged at the US Patent and Trademark Office; and(2) examine Australia’s contribution to the development of these technologies. The four elements of the TSmodel are: national priorities (captured by the technological specialisation index, which is 1.38 forAustralia), international presence (as represented by the patents share, which is 0.73% for Australia),contribution of patents to further knowledge development (as measured by the citations index, which is2.73 for Australia), and potential commercial benefits (approximated by the rate of assigned patents, whichis 0.75 for Australia). The TS model applied to Australia demonstrates some potential in the field of nanotechnology,but more concentrated efforts are needed to ensure that Australia makes a stronger impact inthe global arena. International rankings of technological strengths in nano-technology are also compiled.