Qualitative and quantitative patent valuation methods: A systematic literature review

Abstract

In recent years, various studies focused on evaluating and valuing patents intensively and sought answers about the economic value, strength, quality of patents' promise or possess. This paper investigates the underlying knowledge structure and the evolution of patent valuation methods under two main topics: quantitative and qualitative. We searched for peer-reviewed journals from Scopus. After screening results according to relevance, the core paper's references are backtracked, which points out that some essential studies evolved from first tear grey literature. Our review resulted in 129 documents between 1981 and 2021. We applied bibliometric techniques and co-citation network analysis. Results indicate that scientific production on patent valuation is gradually increasing over the last two decades. Co-citation analysis shows our sample is profoundly related, and authors in the same field of expertise and their working specialties are very similar. We observed that a small portion of the literature deals with the patent's technological readiness level while selecting valuation methods throughout the study. Investigation of appropriate valuation methods of patents in different maturity levels deserves special attention.