Exploring the development of science-based nanotechnology

Scientific research has been acknowledged as an important knowledge resource for developing technologies. Studying science-technology linkages is crucial to help understand the mechanisms of innovation. Using nanotechnology as a case study, this paper investigates what types of scientific research can help improve the impact of technologies. This study uses backward and forward citation analysis, extracted from the Derwent World Patents Index (DWPI). Non-patent citations (NPCs) from each patent are further connected with records indexed in Web of Science, and the forward citations for the cited articles are collected. On the one hand, our results confirm that there is an important contribution from science to technology. High-impact academic research has significantly contributed to the development of high-impact patents. On the other hand, this study also reveals the heterogeneous pattern of patents citing scientific publications, depending on the organizational type, country, and knowledge origin. Compared to those in the U.S., patents developed by Chinese inventors tend to reply on more recent science but with a narrower scientific scope.