Analysis on patent situation of cane sugar industry and technological innovation countermeasures in Guangxi

ObjectiveThe present study aimed to analyze patent development in Guangxi cane sugar industry in past 30 years in order to offer suggestions for technological innovation and development of Guangxi cane sugar industry.MethodData of patent in sugar cane industry during 1986-2014 in Guangxi were retrieved on Incopat database devel-oped by Beijing IncoShare Company with combination of key words and international patent classification number. Results were selected, combined and processed artificially, and patent application quantity, technology type, legal status and patentees were analyzed. ResultPatent analysis during 1986-2014 indicated that Guangxi cane sugar industry patent ap-plications went through an up-down variartion trend. Biotechnology patents accounted for the highest proportion(34.78%) of the total while application of deep-processed product(13.04%) the lowest. Pending patents application constituted (40.30%) the highest proportion of application, valid patents and fail patents made up the same ratio(29.85%). Among fail patents, withdraw patents accounted for the highest proportion(16.42%). In terms of valid patents, enterprises played a leading role in patentees with proportion of 42.86%, followed by colleges and universities(28.57%), research institutes (23.81%). Among all applicants, colleges and universities accounted for the highest proportion(32.84%), followed by en-terprises(25.37%), research institutes(23.88%) and individuals(11.94%). Therefore, the problems in the Guangxi cane sugar industry included insufficient research and development input in deep-processed product, lack of intellectual prop-erty rights and patent competition consciousness, high proportion of invalid patents, scientific research achievements stay-ing in research and development period and low transformation rate of scientific and technological achievements. Sugges-tionFollowing measures are suggested: combining government support, production, study, research and application to-gether and accelerating research and development of deep-processed product; strengthening management of intellectual property rights and encouraging technical staff to carry out technological innovation; establishing and improving patent in-formation utilization system and promoting technological innovation in enterprises; improving technological achievements transformation mechanism and fueling scientific and technological innovation in colleges, universities and research insti-tutes; exploring a model of introduction-digestion-absorption-innovation in technological innovation.