Patent indicators – within the science and technology (S&T) context – are used to measure inventive performance, diffusion of knowledge and internationalisation of innovative activities – across countries, firms, industries, technology areas, etc. A common approach is to calculate patent indicators based on information (filings, grants, etc.) from a particular patent office. While the richness and strength of those indicators are broadly recognised, they are affected by “home” advantage bias – where proportionate to their inventive activity, domestic applicants tend to file more patents in their home country compared to foreign applicants.

Patents taken in various countries to protect inventions can be linked together to build triadic patent families: a set of patents taken at the European Patent Office (EPO), the Japanese Patent Office (JPO), and the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that share one or more priorities. Patent families are derived from priority application ...