Analysis of space patents: classification of companies and citation flows in technical application sectors

The objective of this thesis is to identify and characterize space-related patents by classifying them as belonging to the upstream or downstream sector of space. In addition, it aims to create a patent repository and conduct a citation flow analysis to determine when an invention developed in the space context is subsequently used in civil domains, and vice versa. The research is based on the identification and analysis of patents related to companies active in the space sector, considering both patents filed by them (root patents) and those that cite them (citing patents). Using tools and methodologies, such as the use of Power Query Editor for data extraction and citation flow analysis or the navigation on Dealroom.co and Derwent.co platforms, the aim is to trace citation paths and identify interactions between space and civil patents. The scope is to understand the technologies behind that space-related patents and their applications in the civil context by analyzing the technical sectors identified by the International Patent Classification. In this way citation flows and interconnections between space and civil patents could provide valuable information on knowledge transfer between sectors and the impact of space innovations on civil society. The creation of a patent repository and the analysis of citation flows represent a significant contribution to the literature on intellectual property in the space sector and to the insights of the links between space innovation and civil progress.