Technological progress has accelerated significantly in recent years. This PhD project aims to investigate the evolution of technologies related to ESG dimensions by leveraging patents, scientific literature, corporate disclosures, and other secondary data sources. A core component will be the use and further development of PATTERN, an open-access platform created within the Interreg V-A Italy–Switzerland program. PATTERN enables users to explore territorialized patent data across Italy, supporting technology mapping and strategic foresight. Research objectives include:
– Developing a framework to identify ESG-driven technological trends using secondary data.
– Designing indicators to assess technological maturity, diffusion, and ESG alignment.
– Extending PATTERN by integrating new datasets (e.g., ESG reports, innovation rankings) and advanced analytics.
– Detecting early signals of innovation and technological convergence.
– Mapping key actors (firms, inventors, institutions) and their roles in ESG-related innovation.
– Creating visual tools to enhance PATTERN’s strategic value.
The project adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining patent analytics, text mining, and network analysis, with iterative platform development. Collaboration with research centers, institutions, and companies will ensure practical impact. Expected outcomes include a framework for ESG-oriented technology intelligence and an enhanced PATTERN platform to support data-driven innovation strategies.
- Technology and Innovation Management: basic understanding of how technological innovation evolves, how it is managed within firms, and familiarity with secondary sources and their use as indicators for technology intelligence.
- Quantitative Data Analysis: ability to work with large datasets using tools such as Excel, Python, R, or similar, especially for statistical analysis, trend detection, and data visualization. Foundational skills in extracting and analyzing information from unstructured data sources.
- Digital Platform Design: interest in the logic and architecture of research-support platforms.
For this scholarship it is mandatory a period of research abroad of 6months.
The research team and environment at LIUC comprise experienced faculty members like Professor Raffaella Manzini, supported by interdisciplinary hubs and research centers within the School of Industrial Engineering. The PATTERN platform is embedded in a broader ecosystem coordinated by the Innovation and Patent Observatory, an initiative that brings together researchers, companies, institutions, and policy makers to monitor technological trends and promote innovation culture. This observatory is enriched by partnerships with firms, industry associations (such as ECOLE and UNIVA Servizi), and academic institutions (e.g. SUPSI, University of Genoa, Cork University Business School).