A Business Strategy Framework for Patent Pooling in the Solar Cell Supply Chain

Abstract

In the green energy sector, which includes the solar cell industry, effectively combining the patents of various manufacturers within the supply chain to collectively create sustainable patent market value is of paramount importance. This study aimed to establish a business strategy framework for project-based licensing through the analysis of solar cell patents and the integration of supply chain manufacturers’ patents, with the goal of collectively creating market value for patents in a sustainable manner. The research methodology included analysis of the literature and focus group discussions. The study began with an analysis of solar cell industry patents from the past decade using the WIPS Global Patent database to identify projects with the highest patent count. Subsequently, through the use of focus group discussions, the feasibility of a patent pool strategy within the supply chain was explored. Finally, a strategy framework was proposed for project-based patent pool licensing, focusing on the top 15 projects with the highest count of 5579 patents. The results indicate that adopting this strategy framework for supply chain manufacturer patents can result in higher commercial patent value.