Trends and trajectories in MEMS-related technologies: an analysis on the basis of patent application data

Despite its potential to change products and processes widely across industries, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are often overlooked by political and popular attention. In this study it is shown turn patent information can be used to analyse the evolution and the present stage of this particular technology. The statistics are obtained from patent documentation databases available at the European Patent Office (EPO). We perform a life cycle analysis as well as a patent citation network analysis of the technology. Due to the interrelatedness and complexity of the MEMS technology the latter performs rather better to map the evolution of the technology.