A Study on the Identification of Cutting-Edge ICT-Based Converging Technologies

It is becoming increasingly difficult to identify promising technologies due to the influx of new technologies and the high level of complexity involved in many of these technologies. Identifying promising information and communications technology (ICT)-based converging technologies holds the key to finding new sources of economic growth and forward momentum. The goal of this study is to identify cutting-edge ICT-based converging technologies by examining the latest trends in the US patent market. Analyzing the US patent market, the most competitive of such markets in the world, can yield certain clues about which of the ICT-based converging technologies may be the next revolutionary technologies. For a classification of these technologies, this study follows the International Patent Classification system. As for ICT, there are 58 related fields at the subclass level and 831 fields at the main-group level. For emerging and converging technologies, there are 75 at the main-group level. From these technologies, a final selection for cutting-edge ICT-based converging technologies is made using a composite index reflecting the converging coefficient, emerging coefficient, and technology impact index.