Practical Use of Competitive Technical Intelligence: Biodegradable Polymers Research Groups and Opportunities in Brazil

摘要

Monitoring the technological environment is especially important for companies, academic groups, and government agencies dealing with science-intensive technologies, such as pharmaceutical, chemical, biotechnology, nanotechnology, materials, electronics and others. The combination of access to vast information collections and strategic interests directs attention to the need for new tools that analyze information and process it into knowledge. In this context, biodegradable polymers is an interdisciplinary field of knowledge with wide innovation and business opportunities, and is intensely dependent on technology and information.nThis article reports on the development and application of an analytical framework for technological information that can support company management decisions concerning technology acquisition, development, partnership and other related actions with respect to biodegradable polymers technology in Brazilian research groups and emerging companies (called groups in this article). The expected results included: identification of research groups and emerging companies; assessment of these research groups and emerging companies through previously defined criteria; development of the addresses and contact names, and the means for accessing them; description of the methodology applied; and suggestions for applying this methodology to other technological platforms.