Kyocera Corporation (based in Kyoto, Japan), a major producer of various components and electronics, has begun to present some of its technologies more aggressively as it seeks to expand business. What once was earned in patent offices but kept hidden is now coming to light as Kyocera tries harder to make its technologies available to possible licensees.
Kyocera, rated a top-class innovator in Clarivate Analytics' ratings, has over 16,000 patents worldwide. Kyocera partnered with the Kansai [Osaka-centered western Japan] Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI-KANSAI) to make some of its patent clusters and technologies more accessible to the public. It aims to enable other companies that may not be able to come up with certain technologies in-house to find and get licenses to use those they need to grow business. This also is to benefit Kyocera's business.
Kyocera's licensing page is starting small but marks a change of attitude within Kyocera toward intellectual property. Its IP department has commented that until recently it had focused merely on gaining many patents to defend its products against competitors. However, thanks to in-house suggestions, it is looking more toward spreading news about some of its technologies to companies that might want to get licenses to use them. Kyocera hopes to expand its businesses overall through its publication efforts with METI-KANSAI, not only in licensing fees. Kyocera's IP department says it hopes to increase its technology offerings to about one hundred themes.
METI-KANSAI's work with Kyocera is not an isolated incident of increasing interest in Japan for technology sharing, scouting, and licensing. Kawasaki City, near Tokyo, has been investing in connecting technology seeds to needs locally. Kyocera's efforts are a sign of the times. Open innovation and technology scouting, as Japan Technology Group does, is opening up possibilities for innovators and businesses around the world, to and from Japan.
Sources
Kyocera, "ライセンスプログラム [Licensing program]," and Global edition "Licensing Programs," accessed August 1, 2018.
Kyoto Shimbun, "京セラや経産局が特許公開サイト 活用企業を募る [Kyocera and METI-KANSAI produce patent publication site, seeking corporations to utilize technologies]," article, July 29, 2018. The bulk of our article is based on this article.
Clarivate Analytics, 2017 Top 100 Global Innovators. Accessed August 1, 2018.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
