TW-Index : uma ferramenta de auxílio à prospecção de tecnologias para identificação e monitoramento de tendências

Abstract

In today’s times, where technology has a strong impact on people’s lives, many efforts are being made to achieve a more desirable future, using resources that can analyze the present in order to anticipate possible opportunities that are beneficial and contribute to a more prosperous future. Although the future is uncertain, technological forecasting techniques are used to assist us and lead us to make significant changes to achieve our goals. In order to create a technological forecasting aid application, TW-Index was developed – this name was given in reference to the term Technology Watch, which is a technique of observation, analysis and identification of possible opportunities and threats, linked to the method of technological forecasting called Monitoring and Intelligence Systems. The purpose of TW-Index is to provide the user with the capacity to monitor and identify whether certain terms are currently trending so that they can make decisions that positively impact their future. Some existing tools – such as Google Trends – that inspired the creation of TW-Index are presented to understand where the idea behind this application comes from. In addition, the functionalities and means that were used in the development of the application are described. Finally, a case study is performed, involving the patents of Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS) published by Coordenação de Inovação e Transferência de Tecnologia (CINTTEC) in 2017, in three areas of knowledge – Engineering and Exact Sciences area, Agrarian and Food Technology area and Health area – to test and validate the software created, showing a way of how the application can be used.