After the end of the corona pandemic, German ingenuity is stirring. The German Patent and Trademark Office registered noticeably higher innovation activity last year.
More patents are being registered again in Germany. According to the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) in Munich, German companies, research institutions and individual inventors submitted a total of 38,469 patent applications last year. That is 3.4 percent more than in 2022. 20,187 patent applications were received from abroad, slightly more than in the previous year.
“Encouraging sign”
This means that the spirit of invention will increase again after the end of the corona pandemic. “The fact that German companies’ innovation activity is noticeably increasing is an encouraging sign in economically difficult times,” commented DPMA President Eva Schewior.
After the Corona restrictions began at the beginning of 2020, the number of domestic patent applications in particular fell for several years in a row. According to figures from the European Patent Office (EPO), which is also based in Munich, Germany also weakened in international comparison, as the proportion of patents registered from the Federal Republic fell in relation to other countries.
Auto industry most important Innovation drivers
The majority of applications are submitted by companies. The automotive industry still plays the most important role: According to the DPMA, the ten companies with the highest number of registrations were all car manufacturers or suppliers: Robert Bosch GmbH was in first place with 4,160 patent applications alone, followed by Mercedes-Benz (2,046) and BMW (1,963). However, these statistics do not provide the complete picture, as some large German companies – including Siemens – prefer to register new patents with the European Patent Office rather than with the national authority.
By far the most patent applications to the DPMA came from Baden-Württemberg – the headquarters of Bosch and Mercedes-Benz are also located there. 14,648 patent applications were received from the federal state, nine percent more than in 2022. Bavaria followed in second place with 10,805 applications.
Mechanical engineering and electrical engineering dominate
The most important technical field in terms of numbers was still mechanical engineering with 40 percent of all registrations. Electrical engineering contributed a good 30 percent. According to the DPMA, this is largely due to new developments in electrical machines and devices as well as in electrical energy. Battery technology, among other things, falls into this area. Chemicals and construction, on the other hand, declined.
According to its own information, the DPMA is the largest national patent authority in Europe. A special feature of the office is that, with its almost 2,800 employees, unlike most other authorities, it does not cost any money, but rather generates high income. Thanks to patent fees, the surplus amounted to 216.4 million euros last year. The money flows into the federal budget.