A patent-based approach for the identification of technology-based service opportunities

One of the most crucial activities for new technology-based service development is an opportunity identification. Previous studies have mainly been customer-centered, lacking data and quantitative methodologies. This study proposes a new approach to identify technology-based service opportunities based on business method patent analysis. First, patent co-classification analysis is applied to construct interrelationship matrices. Second, the analytic network process is employed to derive the priorities of technology-based services. Third, data envelopment analysis window analysis is conducted to calculate the importance and its increase rate of technology-based services. Finally, a portfolio map is constructed to identify and manage opportunities for technology-based services. A case study of mobile services is performed to provide the operation of the proposed approach. It is expected that proposed approach could help planners of technology-based service firms to reduce the uncertainty in the fuzzy front-end stage of new technology-based service development.