The purpose of this research was to derive promising technologies for the transport of hydrogen fuel cells, thereby supporting the development of research and development policy and presenting directions for investment. We also provide researchers with information about technology that will lead the technology field in the future. Hydrogen energy, as the core of carbon neutral and green energy, is a major issue in changing the future industrial structure and national competitive advantage. In this study, we derived promising technology at the core of future hydrogen fuel cell transportation using the published US patent and paper databases (DB). We first performed text mining and data preprocessing and then discovered promising technologies through generative topographic mapping analysis. We analyzed both the patent DB and treatise DB in parallel and compared the results. As a result, two promising technologies were derived from the patent DB analysis, and five were derived from the paper DB analysis.

As life expectancy increases, the number of people who suffer from blind and visual impairment due to presbyopia is gradually increasing. Assistive device systems have been used to overcome various physical, social, infrastructure, and accessibility barriers. As technology has advanced, the scope of assistive technologies has been expanded. Therefore, we explored technological opportunities in assistive technology for the blind and visually impaired to establish a strategy for the technology competition in the near future. Firstly, the patent vacuum is detected by generating the patent map based on generative topographic mapping (GTM). Secondly, social network analysis is applied to identify the relationship between patent vacuums and occupied grid points in the patent map. Finally, the technology activity index and technology impact index are considered at quantitative and qualitative levels. Consequently, it was identified that wearable devices, including the road situation signal acquisition module and data acquisition process control module, could be occupied in the future. This study can provide practical ideas for research and development (R&D) in the field of assistive devices for the blind and visually impaired. In addition, this study can be an ample source for decision/policy makers to project new contents.

An electric motor is a device that changes electrical energy into mechanical energy for railway vehicles. When developing the electric motor, it used to be developed simply for structures or control methods of the motor itself without considering convergence with other devices or technologies. However, as the railway vehicles become more advanced, technology development through convergence with other devices or technologies is spreading. Therefore, based on patent data related to the electric motors applied to the railway vehicles, this research aims to carry out technical forecasting for establishing research and development (R and D) direction for new technologies by predicting vacant technologies from the point of view of technology convergence. In other words, we studied how to find the vacant technologies in a field of convergence technology for the electric motor of the railway vehicles by analyzing the patent data. More specifically, we search the patents data associated with the electric motor of the railway vehicle that contain multiple IPC codes, and use multiple IPC codes to determine the field of convergence technology. In addition, we extract keywords from the patents data related to each of the determined convergence technologies and define the vacant technologies by interpreting the field of convergence technology and the extracted keywords.

In this study, we identify promising, currently vacant technologies for a Truck on Flatcar or Truck on Freight Train (TFTFT) system by analyzing the relevant patent information. We then apply network analysis from macro- and microperspectives to establish technology development strategies. We first researched the patent database from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) by extracting relevant keywords for the TFTFT system. We then preprocessed the patent data to develop a patent-International Patent Classification (IPC) matrix and a patent-keyword matrix. Next, we developed a generative topographic mapping (GTM)-based patent map using the patent-IPC matrix and detected any patent vacuums. Then, in order to confirm the promising patent vacuums, we technically examined criticality and trend analyses. Finally, we designed an IPC-based network and a keyword network with promising patent vacuums to derive a technology development strategy from a macro- and microperspective for the TFTFT system. As a result, we confirmed two promising patent vacuums. The patent vacuums found were defined as the technical field of rail vehicles suitable for TFTFT systems and the technical field of equipment and systems for freight transfer to rail vehicles. The proposed procedure and analysis method provide useful insights for developing a research and development (R&D) strategy and technology development strategy for a TFTFT system.

With the development of the online platforms and the Internet of Things (IoT), various transportation services have been provided, and the lifestyle of the general public has changed significantly. However, the speed of development of technologies and services for the mobility handicapped has been relatively slow. Accordingly, in this paper, the smart mobility patent data for the mobility handicapped is subdivided through clustering to derive the mobility handicapped-related vacant technologies, and the prospect of the vacant technology is verified. For each cluster, a technology level map is generated in consideration of the technology growth level and the scope of authority of the vacant technology derived through the generative topographic map (GTM) patent map, and the level of the vacant technology is checked in terms of quantity and quality. Both indicators perform time series analyses on superior technology to predict technology trends and determine the technology’s promisingness. Unlike the precedent studies that focused only on quantitative analysis methods, this paper identified the usefulness of the technology through clustering and various verification processes and materialized it as a vacant technology that is applicable to actual R&D. Accordingly, through this empirical paper, it is possible to understand the current level of vacant technology in smart mobility for the mobility handicapped and establish an R&D strategy to prevent monopoly in technology in the future market and maintain competitiveness. It can also be utilized for new technology development in consideration of convergence with currently developed technology.