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Patenting activities and technology diffusion in high-tech sectors are being increasingly driven by collaborative, international and technology-based new entrants. In the realm of nanotechnology, one of the most mature structures is nanowire. This paper is concerned with the technology transfer process in the nanowire field; in particular it examines how patent collaborations occur and how the key actors interact with each other to support this process. This study uses a different methodology than previous studies in terms of patent data extraction. The methodology offers a new taxonomy that could make a significant impact on accurate patent data quests and increase the reliability of patent analyses in emerging fields such as nanotechnology. As patent data are valuable sources of technology innovation data and for forecasting technical change, this study utilises patent network analysis to visualise the actors' clusters and their relationships at the organisational, national and international levels. Overall, this study proposes a new collaborative network model to assist with analysing patenting activities between actors in regard to types of linkages. Different types of linkages between countries and organisations can be found for nanowire-related patenting activities by following the proposed network model. Findings indicate that some nations have highly centralised networks where large organisations dominate most linkages, as in the case of South Korea with regard to Samsung. Nations such as the US and Japan have a more distributed network where academic and industrial players are linked with each other. In the case of China, there were mono-linkages between large organisations such as Foxconn and Tsinghua University, which was key with regard to collaborative innovation there.

PurposeBlockchain is expected to have a significant impact on Systems of Innovation as the new General Purpose Technology. The purpose of this study is to investigate how Blockchain can revolutionise the Systems of Innovation by investigating its overall structure, actors and relationships.Design/methodology/approachThis study used the systematic mapping method to explore and integrate the Blockchain and Systems of Innovation literature for the creation of a new conceptual model of Blockchain-enabled Systems of Innovation. In that scope, 37 Blockchain-related and 32 Systems of Innovation-related papers, besides two major books in the field of Blockchain, have been reviewed and then integrated based on the Systems Thinking approach.FindingsThe key findings for Blockchain-enabled Systems of Innovation are that there is (1) an increased distribution of networks and collaborations, (2) increased trust through the use of reputation systems, (3) an emerging new nature of platform characteristics, (4) a democratisation of entrepreneurship by the new funding landscape and (5) an increased significance of technological drivers, such as energy.Research limitations/implicationsThe study shows new Systems of Innovation-related research implications. Accordingly, a new type of actor, relationship and attribute has been introduced where the boundaries of the role definitions are blurred and more distributed. This is where larger organisations can expect to lose their central position. The different types of actors are replaced by a network of actors as a result of the distributed new Blockchain-based system. The threshold for the Bottom of the Pyramid is expected to be reduced, leading to a more democratised innovation system.Practical ImplicationsBlockchain appears to reduce the effects of distrust in collaborative innovation practices with its consensus mechanisms and the new Blockchain-enabled Systems of Innovation is expected to revolutionise the interactions in the future.Originality/valueThere are very few studies that have been found to integrate innovation management practices with Blockchain. This is the first Blockchain-based Systems of Innovation study enabling the fundamental revision of its structure, types of relationships and actors.