Insight Our Strategy
As part of our strategy process, we are continuously implementing future-oriented measures so that we can offer our applicants efficient, modern and high-quality services.
Most subject areas affect several departments of the DPMA. For this reason, we have further interlinked intersections by making appropriate organisational adjustments in order to ensure smooth further development.
We have also revised and significantly streamlined our strategy process.
We have linked one of our future-related topics, “Sustainability at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office” (see “Our project” in this chapter), with our inhouse strategy, thus focussing even more on this topic and making it transparent.
“Quality” also remains a key topic. We continue to expand our process and quality management in order to constantly improve our products and services and we optimise our processes step by step with the help of continuous improvement loops. After all, they form the basis for high-quality work results. At the same time, we intensify the dialogue with our users in order to focus even more closely on their needs. Positive feedback shows us that we are on the right track.
We also continue to expand our digital infrastructure. This year, we introduced the federal e-file (E-Akte Bund) at the DPMA. It will enable us to gradually digitise administrative work. This way, we will further reduce our paper consumption and create additional flexibility for teleworking and mobile working.
In addition to our proven fully electronic specialist systems for patents, utility models and trade marks, the introduction of the digital IP file for our design area is also approaching, even though the exact date of introduction is yet to be determined.
With the WIPO Digital Access Service (DAS) measure, which is expected to be completed by mid-2024, we can offer our applicants a WIPO exchange service for electronic priority documents based on state-of-the-art technology. The DPMA will be one of the first offices worldwide to provide the service for patents and utility models via a web service interface.
Our Project Sustainability at the DPMA
With the Federal Climate Protection Act, the federal government has set itself the goal of making the federal administration climate-neutral by 2030. To achieve this, it is essential to strengthen and enhance the sustainability in the day-to-day activities of the authorities. The DPMA, too, contributes to this goal by taking various measures.
Based on the United Nations 2030 Agenda with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the federal government has adopted, as part of its sustainability strategy, an amendment to the programme of measures for sustainability in 2021. The amended programme focuses on the implementation of sustainability in administrative actions.
In view of the exemplary role of the federal administration, all federal authorities are called upon to implement the stipulations of the programme of measures in ten fields of action.
The fields of action mentioned above encompass the three pillars of sustainability: ecology, economy and social affairs.
In order to achieve the federal government's goals, the DPMA has linked the topic with its in-house strategy and has set up a measure with the aim of identifying the need for action and coordinating and implementing customised, key figure-based initiatives for this purpose in good time. Our sustainability management has the task of continuously developing these initiatives.
We have long been aware of our responsibility and of our role model function as a federal authority. Accordingly, we have been successfully implementing initiatives for many years:
Fields of action ecology and economic affairs:
- Since 2018, all DPMA office buildings have been supplied exclusively with green electricity from renewable energy sources.
- We have been using solar energy and geothermal energy in our main building in Zweibrückenstraße since 2011.
- The potential for saving energy and increasing space efficiency will be taken into account in the exploratory measures for the upcoming refurbishment of our office buildings.
- In line with the principle of travel avoidance, we aim to avoid non-essential business trips and make use of modern video conferencing and communication technology.
- Through a service agreement on flexible working, we avoid travelling to work for our staff.
- The DPMA offers its staff financial support for purchasing a commuter ticket and promotes the use of bicycles by its staff.
- By developing digitised work processes, paper consumption can be reduced significantly.
Field of action social affairs:
- For many years, the DPMA has been promoting the compatibility of work and family life. For this commitment, the DPMA was once more awarded the “audit berufundfamilie” certificate in 2023.
- A service agreement on flexible working came into force in 2023.
- Management positions at the DPMA are also offered on a part-time basis or in a "dual leadership team".
- The DPMA offers its staff an active occupational health management programme and regularly conducts surveys on pressure at the workplace.
Further information can also be found on our website.
In this way, we aim to make a contribution to better protect our valuable natural resources and to offer our staff a healthy and attractive working environment.
Further information:
https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-en/issues/sustainability
The United Nations’ 17 Goals for Sustainable Development