Patented biologically-inspired technological innovations: A twenty year view

Bonser, R.H.C. (2006) Patented biologically-inspired technological innovations: A twenty year view. Journal of Bionic Engineering, 3 (1). pp. 39-41. ISSN 1672-6529 doi: 10.1016/S1672-6529(06)60005-X

Abstract/Summary

Publication rate of patents can be a useful measure of innovation and productivity in fields of science and technology. To assess the growth in industrially-important research, I conducted an appraisal of patents published between 1985 and 2005 on online databases using keywords chosen to select technologies arising as a result of biological inspiration. Whilst the total number of patents increased over the period examined, those with biomimetic content had increased faster as a proportion of total patent publications. Logistic regression analysis reveals that we may be a little over half way through an initial innovation cycle inspired by biological systems.