Market Landscape Research Service
Wondering if you’ve got the next great invention? Who would buy it as a product or a service? What funds will take you from lab to market?
The Market Landscape Research Service helps you assess technology, the marketplace and investment funding. The service offers custom analytical reports that provide a strategic view of the patent and competitive landscape and opportunities for grants and funding to complete research and launch new products, services, and businesses. Projects can start at any time.
“These market summaries were incredibly detailed and provided an in depth analysis of the current state of the solar energy market. This helps us think about and understand where our technology will fit in as we move forward.”
Dr. Ralph House, UNC EFRC Liaison for External Outreach and Collaboration
Nomination Criteria
- Available to current UNC-Chapel Hill faculty, staff, or student
- No cost to UNC-Chapel Hill clients
- In partnership with the Office of Technology Commercialization and other supporting UNC programs
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply?
- Complete the online form
- Or email us at patrick.kastian@unc.edu
What types of patent research do you offer?
- There are 3 types of patent searches: novelty, validity, and freedom-to-operate (aka clearance).
- Patent landscaping (patent mapping, patent visualization) builds on patent searching to also create a visual or graphical model of the patent space for strategic purposes. Patent landscaping helps identify not only what IS in the patent space but what is not – what characteristics leave an opening for R&D and for patenting, what are the relationships, who are the players, what are the trends. It brings together the art and the science of patenting.
- We provide patent landscaping as an information service. Our goal is to provide clients with research and knowledge to hold effective meetings with their technology transfer office or IP counsel.
Does this service include international patent searching?
Yes, we have access to a large collection of both US and international patents, such as: Europe • WIPO • Germany • China • India • Japan • Mexico • Brazil
Is the market analysis comparable to a search of competitors? Do you specify competitors?
- Market analysis includes size of the market, customer demographics, geographic breakdowns of market size and customers, potential competitors and partners, and possible and existing products and services.
- Types of information included depend upon your specific request and availability of relevant information.
What types of tools and resources do you use?
- Derwent Innovation (formerly known as Thomson Innovation): top-ranked patent solution provider with global and country patent databases; the Derwent World Patent Index; and analytical tools for mapping, citation family analysis, geographic analysis, and timeline analysis.
- Extensive resources in market research, competitive intelligence, and sci/tech literature.
- Databases for grant and funding opportunities including federal and private resources.
- Our reports provide both summary and analysis of findings to serve your needs for wider distribution and include source citations.
- Reminder: Always follow copyright law and cite sources in any presentations or other re-packaging of information.
What are your qualifications?
We are a skilled team with nearly 20+ years’ experience as information professionals working with a broad portfolio of subjects.
Cynthia (Cindy) Reifsnider, Cindy.Reifsnider@unc.edu
- Director, Research Services and Lead Analyst for Patent and Sci/Tech Literature
- 20+ years of experience with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hewlett-Packard, and Virginia Tech University
- Expertise in patent searching, sci/tech literature searching, and business research
- MS in Information Science, BS in Atmospheric Science
Patrick Kastian, Patrick.Kastian@unc.edu
- Research Analyst, Innovate Carolina
- 5+ years of experience with the German American Chamber of Commerce
- Expertise in industry research, competitive analysis, identification of funding opportunities, and business development
- BS in International Business, BSBA in Marketing