The study of development of product strategy by patent analysis: A case study of semiconductor equipment component

Established intellectual property can defend against negative effects and advocate positive effects, and for Taiwan´s majority of small and medium-sized and newly created enterprises, patent analysis is essential for technical competition and technology trend analyses. Past patent analysis focused on the area of technology research analysis; however, this research takes semiconductor equipment components as an example, aimed at both a discussion of technology and a market analysis viewpoint of industrial structures, and finally, forming suggestions for product strategy development that provides industrial decision-makers reference for important managerial decisions. This research forms a feasible product strategy, from the viewpoint of an industrial structure, of “market analysis” and “patent management analysis”. Regarding market analysis, from the electronic industry viewpoint, of the upstream to downstream semiconductor manufacturing market of semiconductor wafer equipment and semiconductor back-end equipment as the main body of analyzes of past markets and forecasts future developments. Patent management analysis involves diverse graphs and statistical results in patent quantity, according to nationality, company, etc. This type of information will assist a company to understand, present a market patent layout, compete for information, and gather technology knowledge. Finally, the conformity of the “market analysis” and the “patent management analysis” form an industrial product strategy.