Characterizing the evolution of technologies: An introduction of technology-DNA

For a deeper understanding of the evolution of technologies, we introduce a novel method to characterize technological fields by means of patent classifications and analytical coding. In the method technological fields are disaggregated into four system levels. Patent activities within the technological fields are classified with respect to the four system levels. The dominant system level showing the highest patent activity is identified for each year and sequenced over the course of time. Therefore, an individual fingerprint for a technological field is created. As we see a strong analogy to the DNA classification of living organisms, we call the method technology-DNA (T-DNA). T-DNA is applied in a case study, in which the technological field of logistics is examined. In the case study we find that inventive activities, after a period of unstable evolution, focus on system components and basic system elements, clearly indicated in the T-DNA. As a result, generating T-DNA of a technology offers several starting points for in-depth research.