Summary

Patent information is a generic term, used to denote technical information found in patent documents (patent application and issued patent) and databases, and legal and economic information relating to patent documents. It can be used for a variety of commercial and research and innovation policy purposes, including for the analysis of research programmes, technology development trends and knowledge transfer. It has been found that productive researchers are successful when it comes to scientific publications as well as the patenting of technical solutions based on the results of their own research. The subject of much less research is how patent information can be used in assessing the success of research, including regulations associated with research and research degrees.

In this article, the authors are examining the possibilities for the more successful use of patent information as an indicator (gauge) for research in the context of Estonia. In the first part of the article, the authors analyse the general framework of patent information as a possible quantitative research indicator. This is followed by an examination of the qualitative aspects of patent information. The article then addresses the legislation governing Estonian national and research institutions, which establish the regulation in connection with patent information. The authors make proposals for using patent information in assessing research in Estonia. In doing so, the membership of Estonia’s research system in Europe’s research system is taken into consideration.