biodegradable circuit boards
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The fight against electronic waste: Biodegradable circuit boards

The fight against electronic waste: Biodegradable circuit boards

With electronics being such an integral part of modern society, the problem of how to properly dispose of or recycle these needs to be addressed. E-waste often comprises of products with a battery or plug and features toxic substances such as mercury, posing severe risks to human and environmental health. Researchers have been exploring ways to make various electronics and their components more eco-friendly. One team of researchers funded by the National Science Foundation and published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, has innovated ground-breaking biodegradable circuit boards that hope to solve the growing problem of e-waste and pave the way for future, fully disposable electronics. More…

patent citations
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Harnessing the value in patent citations with PatBase  

Harnessing the value in patent citations with PatBase  

Given the increasing need for fully global citation analysis for international organisations, the volume and complexity of patent citations make it a difficult area to efficiently navigate, however, with the right tools it is also an exceptionally valuable one. An accurate citation analysis requires calculations that involve the analysis of a very large number of patents where data quality and internationally broad content are paramount. Understanding a large dataset like this can be difficult, and just a few years ago neither the big data analytics tools accessible for most users nor the lack of fully global data collections allowed for it.  

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HIV
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International HIV Awareness Day

International HIV Awareness Day

World AIDS Day is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV. On this day, we pay tribute to those who have lost their lives to the virus and those who continue to live with HIV.   

In honour of world AIDS day on 1st December, we are shedding some light on some of the medical advancements made to cure and prevent the spread of the disease, helping save millions of lives. 

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patent data without breaking the bank
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Exploiting patent data without breaking the bank

Exploiting patent data without breaking the bank

Monitoring your own- and third-party patent portfolios (in your industry) should under no circumstances be neglected by any company or research organisation. Although the data published by patent offices is very extensive, when using the right tools this can provide a wealth of information that can both help protect and grow your company, and its IP portfolio… More…

body heat energy
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Body heat: The latest source of renewable energy?

Body heat: The latest source of renewable energy?

 

The COP27 in Egypt is well underway bringing with it an important reminder of the growing necessity to reduce CO2 emissions to help tackle climate change. Renewable Energy isn’t a new topic; however, the energy crisis seems to have pushed people and businesses to think of more innovative ways to foster clean energy, move away from fossil fuels and reduce CO2 emissions. One music venue in Glasgow, SWG3, has recently switched on a system that creates renewable energy from the body heat of people on its dancefloor. Using body heat as an energy source isn’t a new concept but this is the first time it has been implemented to power a building using solely clean energy. More…

open patent strategy closed patent strategy
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Starting with a search – Open vs Closed Innovation in the Post-COVID era

Starting with a search – Open vs Closed Innovation in the Post-COVID era (Part 2)

Traditionally, companies have used a closed patent strategy designed to protect and prolong the lifecycle of existing technologies from competitors. Patents remain a popular way of safeguarding original work, with almost 188,600 applications received by the EPO in 2021 – a 4.5% increase, showing a significant recovery from the small decline recorded in 2020 due to the pandemic.

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commercialising IP
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Starting with a search – commercialising your IP in the post-COVID era

Starting with a search – commercialising your IP in the post-COVID era (Part 1)

Intellectual Property (IP) is commonly seen as one of the most important economic assets of any corporate entity or research organisation. It is a form of property, which, like land can be sold, rented, or mortgaged. Therefore, it has the potential to generate revenue for a business – even indirectly – and like land, its value depends on its quality. The four main types of IP are patents, trademarks, designs, and copyright. This article focuses on patents, and their commercialisation since these are of the most economic value to innovative companies.

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Innovative drone technology
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Innovative Drone Technologies

Innovative Drone Technologies & Their Patents

What is a Drone (UAV)?

Drones, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), are flying robots that can be piloted remotely by an operator or can fly autonomously using programmed flight plans. They are fitted with onboard sensors and GPS systems which allow them to navigate through space without colliding with obstacles.

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machine translation
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Latam: a leading hub for innovations and start-up unicorns

Latam: a leading hub for innovations and start-up unicorns  

 

Since the rise of technology, Latin America (LATAM) has historically not been known for its innovation and has seen its progress advance at a slower pace than the rest of the globe. However, in recent years, these regions have gradually been making a name for themselves as attractive areas for new business development and have positioned themselves as key players, attracting investors from around the world. The technological boom in LATAM fostered innovation hubs around the continent. Cities in Columbia, Brazil, and Mexico have been competing to be named the Silicon Valley of Latin America.  

In the spirit of innovation, take a look at what creations sparked unicorns around these LATAM tech hubs. 

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