Abstract Due to the depletion of fossil energy, bioenergy has become more and more important and the patents in this field increased rapidly in recent years. Patent information is expanding as a unique source of technical information in analyzing technology innovation, development, and strategic planning. The patent databases on the Internet and special software, offer the opportunity to patent bibliometric research. Using Derwent Innovation Index, this article analyzes the patents in 3 key bioenergy technical areas: biological hydrogen, bioethanol and biodiesel, during 1996~2006, from the following aspects: temporal and spatial distributions, patents citations, major fields, influential patent assignees, to reflect the trend and development of key bioenergy techniques.
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