Rowan Analytics Insights
Patent Prosecution Analytics Benchmarking Report – May 2023

Changes In Technology Centers 1600 and 1700 between 2011 and 2021

Last month, Rowan undertook a study of the spread of Technology Centers that received granted patent applications. We compared two sets of data – patents granted in 2011 and patents granted in 2021 to see which Technology Centers had become more “popular” – receiving a larger share of granted patents? And which declined?

This month, we take this initial analysis and dive deeper into two of the Technology Centers: 1600 (Biotechnology and Organic) and 1700 (Chemical and Materials Engineering). We used the “Groups” that the USPTO lists on their website to further break down our analysis.

Which of these groups saw a larger share of patents granted between 2011 and 2021, and which saw a smaller share?

In Technology Center 1600, two groups grew significantly compared to 2011. The 1660 group – Plants grew over 23%, and the 1610 group – comprised of Organic Compounds: Bio-affecting, Body Treating, Drug Delivery, Steroids, Herbicides, Pesticides, Cosmetics, and Drugs grew nearly 19%. The largest decline was in the 1630 group – Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Nucleic Acids, Recombinant DNA & RNA, Gene Regulation, Nucleic Acid Amplification, Animals & Plants, Combinatorial/ Computational Chemistry – had the largest decline at just over 11%, followed by by the 1620 group, Organic Chemistry.

In Technology Center 1700, one group grew significantly compared to 2011, more than doubling its share of patents granted. The 1790 group – Food, Analytical Chemistry, Sterilization, Biochemistry, Electrochemistry – also more than doubled its absolute number of patents granted from 149 to 295. The next most sizable gain was in group 1720 – Fuel Cells, Battery, Flammable Gas, Solar Cells, Liquid Crystal Compositions – which grew just over 20%, followed by 1780 – Miscellaneous Articles, Stock Materials – with 13% growth. The smallest growth came from the 1760 group – Organic Chemistry, Polymers, Compositions – at almost 4%.

The four groups which saw declines as a percentage of patents granted within the Technology Center were 1770 – Chemical Apparatus, Separation & Purification, Liquid & Gas Contact Apparatus – at just over a 27% decline, followed by 1710 – Coating, Etching, Cleaning, Single Crystal Growth with almost a 21% decline. The next largest decline was 1730 – Metallurgy, Metal Working, Inorganic Chemistry, Catalyst, Electrophotography, Photolithography – and the smallest decline was found in group 1740 – Tires, Adhesive Bonding, Glass/Paper making, Plastics Shaping & Molding.

Next month we will continue our analysis with the 2100 and 2400 Technology Centers.

If you would like to receive data on applications filed by your firm or your company like the below, to help you understand the power of analytical data to help you, please contact us and we will be happy to analyze your applications as a courtesy.