The research profiling method applied to nano-enhanced, thin-film solar cells

Technology Policy and Assessment Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta,GA 30332–0345, USA. alan.porter@isye.gatech.eduNanotechnology-enhanced thin-film solar cells constitute promising solar energy solutions andan important emerging application of nanotechnology. This paper profiles the researchpatterns via ‘tech mining’ to capture key technological attributes, leading actors and networks.We compare the leading countries, and key organizations, in terms of R&D quantity, impactand diversity. We find that India is a leader in this field, which is a little surprising. India andChina show strong trends of relative increase in both research activity and impact. OneGerman organization appears as especially productive and the central node in Germany’sresearch network, which contrasts with the diffused network of the United States. Interna-tional collaboration patterns also vary, with China particularly showing much less interna-tional cooperation than others. Some countries appear to share interests, but they do not showmuch cooperation – e.g., China with Japan. Research profiling, as illustrated here, can help anR&D manager or policy-maker locate one’s intended research activity among existingendeavors, to determine how attractive the opportunities are. Such depictions can also helpidentify collaboration opportunities and potentially attractive partners.