A cartographic study of Singapore patents.

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to study Singapore Patents using cartographic methods, a visual approach, to add depth and broaden the perspective of analysis by combining graphical charts to map patent data and trends over time. This dissertation also includes a literature review of Singapore Patents, undertaken through keyword analysis on available literature, using the social network analysis (SNA) software, UCINet. The study begins by introducing Singapore's development and industrial transformation, the country's national research and development (R&D) framework, how multi-national corporations (MNCs) has helped transformed the R&D scene, and a brief introduction to patents and intellectual property history, growth and development in Singapore. The analysis of data is undertaken from two perspectives, namely, patent analysis from statistics derived from the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) for the period 1995 to 2009, and a review of available literature on Singapore Patents with focus on keyword analysis, where the keywords are derived from journal articles published within a ten-year period from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2009. The findings show that patents in Singapore are still dominated by foreigners, although findings by Singapore Resident are growing, amid a slower pace, reflecting a small domestic market. The Singapore Government has taken an active role in developing R&D as reflected in three five-year National Science & Technology Plans, with budget allocated at S$4 billion (1996), S$6 billion (2001) and S$13.5 billion (2006). Productivity of patents, evaluated over the interval of five-year periods, reflects a decreasing trend. The study also shows a shift in patent filing as Singapore matures and moves into knowledge-intensive industries.