Predicting a promising fusion technology in geoscience and mineral resources engineering using Korean patent data

This study uses patent analysis to identify those sectors in Korean geoscience and mineral resources engineering where technology fusion is possible, and those that seem to hold the promise of fusion technologies. The analysis is conducted using geoscience and mineral engineering technology 2008–2012 patent data and Korean Standard Industrial Classification-International Patent Classification concordance table. Specifically, we use fusion and promising indexes proposed by Kang [Kang, H. J. (2006). A study on the projection of the promising fusion technologies by US patent analysis. KookminUniversity] to calculate and identify promising fusion technologies. The empirical results indicate that technologies in IPCsubclass separation (B01D); mixing, e.g., dissolving, emulsifying, dispersing (B01F); chemical or physical process, e.g.,catalysis, colloid chemistry (B01J); fuels, natural gas, synthetic natural gas (C10L); production or refining of metals (C22B);earth or rock drilling (E21B); investigating or analyzing materials by determining their chemical or physical properties(G01N); image data processing or generation (G06T); and signaling or calling systems (G08B) are promising fusiontechnologies. The technologies in these subclasses have been researched actively in recent years, and can be combined withother technologies more easily, based on our quantitative results. Therefore, assuming that this trend will continue at least fora few more years, the technologies in these subclasses could be promising fusion technologies.