The study of patent portfolio strategies of oil shale developers

Purpose The development of oil shale has become a popular technique in the energy industry in recent years. Although more research attention has been paid to this topic, there are scanty studies on patent portfolios. This study aims to explore this current mainstream technique and the patent portfolios of oil shale developers and investigates the major assignees at present to find the technical development trend of oil shale as a reference for government, policy makers, investors and industrial strategic development. Design/methodology/approach This study applies correspondence analysis and K-means clustering analysis on data mining and probes into the competitive techniques and strategic groups of the main enterprises in the oil shale industry. In addition, by approval dates, this study analyzes technical directions and the development trends of the current main oil shale enterprises. Findings The findings show differences in the enterprises regarding technical positions and patent portfolio strategies. Originality/value Differential positioning analysis suggests the relative technical advantages of the various enterprises and evaluates the competition among oil shale enterprises.