Competitive intelligence — Understanding current trends in the patent landscape for nanomaterials

Identifying the technology trends, key patents to be aware of, the key players active in the field, the product areas that are heavily patented or scarcely addressed, and the focus of a company's competitors represent crucial aspects of developing a successful strategic plan, determining a company's freedom to make and sell their product, and focusing future research & product development efforts. These areas of concern may be addressed by the creation and analysis of a patent landscape associated with the technology behind a company's product. A process for creating and analyzing a patent landscape is provided using the area of nanomaterials as a case study.