Toward sustainable desalination: a patent analysis of technology-development trajectories
Research and development (R&D) in desalination has enabled innovations and expanded global water-supply capacity to enhance water security. Despite increased desalination capacity, significant sustainability concerns persist. While sustainable desalination efforts have primarily focused on impro...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15487733.2025.2450112 |
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| author | Kyungsun Lee Wendy Jepson |
| author_facet | Kyungsun Lee Wendy Jepson |
| author_sort | Kyungsun Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Research and development (R&D) in desalination has enabled innovations and expanded global water-supply capacity to enhance water security. Despite increased desalination capacity, significant sustainability concerns persist. While sustainable desalination efforts have primarily focused on improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions, less attention has been paid to other environmental impacts. Moreover, questions remain about which sustainable technologies have been developed and which stakeholders’ R&D priorities. To address these gaps, we analyze patent data to trace desalination technology-development paths while examining environmental impacts and the roles of government and industry. Using bibliographical analysis, text mining, and technology life-cycle analysis, we map the evolution of the global desalination sector over the past 20 years. Our analysis reveals geographical patterns in patenting activities, including developments in core technologies such as Multiple Effect Distillation (MED), Multi-Stage Flash Distillation (MSF), and Reverse Osmosis (RO). We identify a significant misalignment between R&D pathways and broader sustainability concerns, with implications for the long-term sustainability of desalination and regional water-security policies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b2eb344207d8456899cfbaab76753a8a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1548-7733 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy |
| spelling | doaj-art-b2eb344207d8456899cfbaab76753a8a2025-01-29T09:35:24ZengTaylor & Francis GroupSustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy1548-77332025-01-0121110.1080/15487733.2025.2450112Toward sustainable desalination: a patent analysis of technology-development trajectoriesKyungsun Lee0Wendy Jepson1Department of History, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas, USADepartment of Geography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USAResearch and development (R&D) in desalination has enabled innovations and expanded global water-supply capacity to enhance water security. Despite increased desalination capacity, significant sustainability concerns persist. While sustainable desalination efforts have primarily focused on improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions, less attention has been paid to other environmental impacts. Moreover, questions remain about which sustainable technologies have been developed and which stakeholders’ R&D priorities. To address these gaps, we analyze patent data to trace desalination technology-development paths while examining environmental impacts and the roles of government and industry. Using bibliographical analysis, text mining, and technology life-cycle analysis, we map the evolution of the global desalination sector over the past 20 years. Our analysis reveals geographical patterns in patenting activities, including developments in core technologies such as Multiple Effect Distillation (MED), Multi-Stage Flash Distillation (MSF), and Reverse Osmosis (RO). We identify a significant misalignment between R&D pathways and broader sustainability concerns, with implications for the long-term sustainability of desalination and regional water-security policies.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15487733.2025.2450112Patent analysissustainabilitydesalination technologydesalinationdesalination policy |
| spellingShingle | Kyungsun Lee Wendy Jepson Toward sustainable desalination: a patent analysis of technology-development trajectories Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy Patent analysis sustainability desalination technology desalination desalination policy |
| title | Toward sustainable desalination: a patent analysis of technology-development trajectories |
| title_full | Toward sustainable desalination: a patent analysis of technology-development trajectories |
| title_fullStr | Toward sustainable desalination: a patent analysis of technology-development trajectories |
| title_full_unstemmed | Toward sustainable desalination: a patent analysis of technology-development trajectories |
| title_short | Toward sustainable desalination: a patent analysis of technology-development trajectories |
| title_sort | toward sustainable desalination a patent analysis of technology development trajectories |
| topic | Patent analysis sustainability desalination technology desalination desalination policy |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15487733.2025.2450112 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kyungsunlee towardsustainabledesalinationapatentanalysisoftechnologydevelopmenttrajectories AT wendyjepson towardsustainabledesalinationapatentanalysisoftechnologydevelopmenttrajectories |