Development of a New Methodology to Identity Promising Technology Areas Using M&A Information

In this paper, we suggest a new methodology to identify promising technology areas by analyzing merger and acquisition (M&A) information. First, we present decision models for estimating the velocity and acceleration of M&A transactions to identify promising areas based on M&A information. Second, we identify the promising technology areas with longitudinal analyses of M&As over the entire period. Third, cross-sectional analysis is proposed to determine which technology areas are more promising through a relative comparison among technology areas within the IT sector for a specific period. The main significance of our research is that it is a prior data-based analytic method based on M&A transaction information to identify the growth of industry and technology. We hope this study will provide insights for R&D (Research&Development) policymakers and investment firms as a new approach that complements previous methods in exploring promising industry or technology areas.