Inside Innovation

An Interactive Database of Ideas

Boston Consulting Group's tool enables researchers and companies to map who's working on what and where, allowing innovative collaboration

By Brian Hindo

Wouldn't it be great if there were a map you could follow to new ideas? A software tool developed by strategy firm Boston Consulting Group doesn't provide exactly that, but it can at least map out where ideas came from—and offer clues to where new ones may lie. The proprietary software, developed in-house by BCG, trawls patent and scholarly databases, then displays the search results, showing who is doing research on a particular topic and with whom. Researchers and companies are represented on the map by circles, with those working on similar projects located close together on the map. Citations to one another's work are represented by links connecting each circle.

The tool has implications for innovation. At a glance, you can see which patents are the most cited, in what direction research is headed, and which people and organizations are collaborating. This could suggest potential acquisition targets or identify a prolific scientist a company should hire. It can be used to shape strategy—a company may be able to spot a "white space," where an innovation can bridge a gap between two networks.

Here's a look at how the Saratoga (Calif.) nonprofit Myelin Repair Foundation (MRF), which researches treatments for multiple sclerosis, is using the tool.