ft innovation indicator

Innovation IndicatorBy Country, 2004 (‘000)

Japan

US

South Korea

Germany

China

Russia

France

UK

Taiwan

Italy

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

These charts indicate where most innovation is taking place, as measured by patent applications. Using data collected byThomson Scientific, it shows the number of patents appliedfor in the world’s leading patent authorities. Patents can beapplied for in more than one country; these charts treat theoriginal country of application as the priority country – as it isusually the country in which the applicant is based. Innovation Indicator

By Country, 20041 Japan 342,7262 US 167,1833 South Korea 71,4834 Germany 55,4785 China 40,4266 Russia 19,1047 France 13,2468 UK 12,2459 Taiwan 8,68410 Italy 4,86911 Australia 4,14212 Brazil 3,70013 Canada 3,12514 Sweden 2,27215 Spain 2,26016 Netherlands 2,03217 Finland 1,41118 Austria 1,35519 Switzerland 1,11920 Denmark 1,03021 South Africa 1,00022 Israel 65023 Hungary 59724 New Zealand 57925 Norway 56226 Czech Rep. 50827 Belgium 50328 Romania 49229 Mexico 30830 Ireland 300

Business Idea 2: Tennis racket string sensorTennis players requiring rackets to bestrung to a particular tension have no easyway of checking the strings retain therequired tightness. A small lightweightdevice will be able to tell them.

Tiny sensors attach to four strings at thetop and on one side of the racket head tomonitor tension. Fine wires (concealed)lead to a solar-powered base unit attachedto the racket neck. Players can pre-set tolerances and when the strings fall outside that range, a display windowchanges colour.Business Idea 3: Cool drinks from your PCThe device plugs into a PC/Laptop USBand cools your drink using the computerpower supply. It heats drinks too.

The power supply terminals of a Peltiermodule are connected to the electric powerlines of a universal serial bus (USB) cable,connected to a USB terminal of a personalcomputer. The Peltier module is driven bydirect current voltage supplied from PC. Adrink can is heated or cooled, based on the

polarity of applied voltage.Business Idea 4: Human Body NetworkA system that uses the human body’sconductivity as a data and power bus forinterconnecting devices spread over thebody, such as watches, pagers, jewellery, etc.Allows sharing of data and power betweendevices efficiently without wires.

The system includes portable devices thatare electrically networked throughthe body, which serves as a transmissionmedium of power and data signals withrespect to the portable devices.Business Idea 5: Car shareInternet-based system matches the travelneeds of people in a town with vacant carseat spaces to provide cheap travel andreduce congestion. Ideal for car pools, sharing taxis and it can also be used tostreamline delivery of varied goods.It involves entering data for riders and drivers using any personal computer workstation via a website. Regular requestsare grouped into trips and assigned to drivers by a logistic program.

AnswerFour of the inventions outlined here have soughtpatent protection - the factthat it was difficult to spotwhich one hasn’t illustratesthe breadth of ideas beingdreamt up around theworld.n The street-powered lampsideas came from a privateinventor in Texas and apatent has been granted; apatent is pending for thecool drinks from your PC,by Komatsu Electronics,Japan; Human BodyNetwork by Microsoft, US -patent granted; and the carshare idea from a privateinventor in Maryland, US,has patent pending. Thefake is the solar-poweredtennis racket string sensor -but could it one day be astandard piece of sportingequipment?

Worth a Punt?You are sitting on a pile of venture capitaland hear of the following innovations. You decide to invest in four of them, aslong as they have, or are seeking, patents.

But which ones? Four of them are genuine ideas for which patents are eithergranted, waiting for examination or undergoing “opposition”, during whichother patent owners can object; one is a fake.

Business Idea 1:Street lamps powered by trafficStreet lampposts, traffic signals etc powered via passing traffic, removing theneed for mains electricity supply.

This would save councils money andallow lighting where electricity supply isdifficult, expensive, unreliable or absolutely vital and requiring back-up, forexample, on an airport runway.

The power generation apparatus hadcylinders with pistons and the weight ofvehicles pushes piston down causing fluidto flow from the cavity towards a powerconversion unit.

FT SPECIAL REPORT INNOVATION WEDNESDAY JUNE 8 2005

Source: Thomson Scientific www.scientific.thomson.com

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