Science and technology map analysis of a multi-disciplinary field -Case study of aerospace engineering-

Both the expansion of knowledge and the fragmentation of disciplines are causing delay in important development strategy decision in many promising industries. Policy makers and practitioners expect tools to structure the expanding knowledge and to roadmap for breakthroughs. In this paper, we approach this challenge with a citation network analysis to academic publications and patents. The case study is discussed within one of the most complex galaxy of disciplines, Aerospace Engineering (AE). The analysis is based both on academic papers of major AE journals and on patents classified to AE by International Patent Classification. We found the difference between knowledge structure of AE, an integrated multi-technology system and the results obtained from our previous studies in component technology fields. This study contributes toward developing the adaptability of our tool to roadmap for innovation.