An Analysis of Patents Filed at African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) from January 2015 to December 2016 for Research Intelligence Signalling Using Open Source Patent Analytics

This paper analyses 949 patents filed at African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) from January 2015 to December 2016 using Google Sheets and Tableau Public for research intelligence signalling. The results show that the highest number of patent applications was filed by Qualcomm Incorporated followed by Bayer Pharma Aktiengesellschaft. In the universities and research institutions space the highest number of applications came from South African institutions. Nearly 50 percent of the total patent applications came from applicants who filed for a single patent. An analysis of the International patent Classification shows that a majority of applications (12.8 percent) were classified in the heterocyclic compounds (C07D) field. Patent information is critical for research intelligence signalling as it provides a rapid assessment of the state of the art and avoids duplication. It also assists in identifying existing work on which to build on, valuable research topics, potential research collaborators and potential industry partners.